Eyes of Jade
by Lost and Never Found
Summary: She was odd, even by her world's standards. But the mind behind those startling jade eyes was exactly what Alagaesia needed. And it was exactly what they needed. MurtaghOC, ThornOC, AryaEragon briefly . Slight AU, things happened differently after Eldest
1. Chapter 1

**If you are reading this... Congrats! Welcome to an unplanned test to see if I can send alerts to my readers for REPLACING chapters.**

**Token Disclaimer: I no ownie, so shooie.**

Brushing her fingertips against her lips in a kiss, she then pressed them to the picture tucked into the frame of her vanity mirror. "Still missing you," she whispered softly. With a sigh, she finished pinning her curls out of her face, except for those she purposefully left loose. Grabbing her school bag, she made sure that she had tucked her notebook full of compositions back inside after taking it out last night to do homework. Looking one last time at the picture, she opened the door without looking behind her and stepped backwards.

A scream quickly followed.

* * *

_Eragon, did you see that?_

Jerking his mind away from the welcoming presence of the trees, the young Rider thought back to his dragon, _What?_

_A person just fell out of the sky, _Saphira said matter-of-factly, even as she angled her wings so they could approach the spot where the dragon had seen the person fall. Finding a clearing she could land in, she came to a gentle stop and looked back at him. _You should go find them._

_Of course, of course, _Eragon replied good-naturedly, too happy to be returning home to take her command badly. Undoing his leg straps, he released the barriers around his mind. At first, all he found were the thoughts of animals and the plants. But then…

"_I'm restless and wild, I fall but I try. I need someone to understand. I'm lost in my thoughts and baby I fought for all that I've got. Can you hear me? Hear me, I'm crying out, I'm ready now…"_

_A dancer spun across a wooden platform, her dress of blue silk catching the light. Beside him, he heard a man whisper, "She's beautiful in her own way, darlin'. You've got something more special. You've got a heart of gold, and music of an angel in yah."_

"_Don't scream anymore my love cause all I want is you. I can't save your life, though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting. I'm losing my mind and you just stand there and stare as my world divides…"_

…_a blue dragon stood curiously in the middle of the clearing below, a man standing stock still not far away…_

_Eragon! _

Saphira's mental voice finally yanked him out of the vortex of thought. _Where did you go?_ she asked him curiously as his head pounded from the overload.

He shook his head and thought back, _I don't know, but I never want to go there again._

"Hey down there!" a by-now familiar voice said. Scowling, Eragon turned to look at the source of the headache he now had, only to feel his breath leave him a loud _whoosh._

Delicately framed with a thinness that wasn't from exercise, she had pale skin that looked like it had been touched by the sun only rarely. Intelligent green eyes with a gray shade mixing in looked almost jade in this light as they overlooked a thin nose. The fuller lower lip was quivering a little, parted from the thinner upper lip. Amazement could be read in every line of her body, though he dared not go into her mind again. Self-conscious under his intense gaze, she tugged on the hem of her evergreen-colored shirt so it came further over the strange skirt she wore, understandable since it was indecently short, though she had leggings on underneath it which kept him from wondering what kind of girl this was. Her shoes- or shoe, seeing as the other wasn't in sight- was a simple brown slipper, but it didn't look to be leather or cloth...

"Take a picture, it'll last longer!" she finally snapped at him.

_She's a feisty one,_ Saphira commented.

_More like rude, _he thought back to her, then spoke allowed, "How did you get up there?"

"If I knew that, I would be down on the ground by now." She made it sound so obvious that he couldn't help bristling.

_Calm, Eragon. The girl is terrified, and her words are sharp because of it. Come with me to get her down,_ Saphira encouraged.

_Fine. But then we're pressing on to Ellesméra. Arya and Oromis are waiting, don't forget. _With a scowl, he climbed into the saddle again, though not bothering with the leg straps as Saphira took to the air. Once they were level with the stuck teenage girl, he held out his hand. When she only stared at it, he snapped, "Well, grab hold."

"Are you insane? I'll fall," she protested.

_I told you she was terrified,_ Saphira chided.

_Fine!_ Now thoroughly irritated, Eragon reached over and grabbed the girl, yanking on her without warning. Instantly, his mind was bombarded again.

…_hand clapped over his mouth, keeping him from screaming even as everything seemed to hurt…_

…_the pain again, though by now he had learned how to ignore it and tune out what was happening…_

Gasping as he felt real pain, he found that he was now on the ground, Saphira's teeth only gently pressing into his arm. The girl stood nearby, obviously confused.

"Whatever you were just thinking about, don't," he unexpectedly growled at her. "Your mind is like a hurricane, it sucks me in whenever you start focusing on something too strongly."

Her eyes grew wider and she nodded, then her eyes started scanning the ground. She hopped over to a large tree root, keeping her bare foot of the ground, and luckily found her other shoe. Sitting down on the same root to slip on the shoe, her eyes didn't stop looking around.

"What have you lost?" he asked, even as he started to strap his legs to the saddle.

A scowl tugged at her lips as she said, "My bag. It fell with me."

_Fell? Fell from where? _Saphira asked him, baffled. He repeated her question to the stranger.

"Don't know. One minute, I was walking out my bedroom door, admittedly I was doing it backwards. Next, I was falling to my doom. I luckily managed to grab this tree's branch and pull myself up. However, I still haven't found my bag." Her hands were on her hips as she looked around, obviously annoyed.

"What's so important in it?"

"None of your business," she said testily, finally standing to walk around and try and find it.

He scowled at her. "Are you always this pleasant?" he demanded.

She refused to comment, focusing on clearing piles of leaves in search of her still missing bag. Saphira was refusing to take flight, obviously curious. Finally, she stumbled and went down with a loud thump. The dragon rider was out of the saddle and walking back towards her before he even thought about it. Eragon was impressed when she didn't cry out, even though he could see that she had seriously skinned her knee. She glared at the offended appendage, though she picked up a brown bag made of a strange material and swung it onto her shoulder.

_We should take her with us,_ Saphira told him unexpectedly. _There is something about her…_

_Oromis will be upset that we are so late._

_He will forgive._

_Very well._

"Come with us to the next city. Perhaps we can arrange for you to be taken home again," he said firmly. It was by no means an actual request, but a demand.

She tilted her head to the side as if she were really considering saying no. It only rubbed him the wrong way further. Finally, she shrugged and said, "Sure, why not? Though is there any way you could bandage my knee first?" She pointedly gestured towards her skinned knee, which was bleeding down her calf.

Evaluating his energy level, he nodded and said under his breath, "Though I hope we don't face much on the way…" Muttering the correct words in the ancient language, the skin on her knee instantly healed. She stared at him in amazement—obviously, this was her first encounter with magic—and then smiled at him thankfully, and he wondered if there was actually some pleasantness under that sarcastic personality.

_Perhaps we should walk,_ Saphira suggested, _She might not be settled after her apparent fall…_ He reluctantly nodded, and took off, expecting the girl to following. She grumbled, but did so, keeping pace with them even as her feet caught on common forest debris they walked, it was complete silence. Eragon tried to keep his mind from drifting towards hers. Even Saphira had admitted that her mind was inhospitable, even for a dragon, for longer than a few minutes.

Trying to fill in the space, Eragon decided to find out more about this girl, and asked, "So… My name is Eragon. What is yours?"

She adjusted the shoulder straps of her bag instead of immediately answering. Her expression just screamed she was purposefully being difficult. He waited impatiently, till she finally said, "Amy."

Relieved at finally getting an answer, even though it was a nickname rather than her true name, he easily guessed what it stood for as he said good-naturedly, "Well then, Amelia, what were you-"

His comment was cut off by her grabbing the back of his tunic and yanking him to where he was looking into her eyes, which were now perfectly resembling pieces of jade. "My name isn't Amelia, moron. I go by Amy, okay?"

"Which is short for Amelia," he argued, yanking free of her hold with narrowed eyes of his own. He hadn't been manhandled in years.

"Only if Eragon translates to idiot in some other language," she snarled, "It's short for Amalthia, okay? I got sick of being mocked as a kid, so I started going by Amy. Got it?" Stunned by her suddenly violent temper, he nodded and watched her stalk off. "Good. Now can we keep moving? I don't like this place," she called over her shoulder.

Saphira nudged his shoulder in agreement with her. They were still far enough away from Ellesméra that an enemy could stumble upon them. Pushing his dark thoughts aside for now, he nodded at "Amy" and picked up his pace till he was in the lead again.

"Is it just me being new to this whole forest thing, or is it freakishly quiet?" the teenager suddenly asked, looking around her in innocent curiosity at the tall trees.

Eragon rolled his eyes. He could sense the minds of the other animals… far from here. None of them were within miles of them, and he didn't think it had anything to do with Saphira. Now on full alert, he also scanned the trees.

As if their change in mental state cued them, the arrows started raining on them. Knowing she was defenseless, Amy pressed herself into a curve of Saphira's body as Eragon withdrew his sword, fully intending on putting an end to this small group of fighters.

But the arrows didn't stop, and he couldn't get clear sights on the archers.

While a fearsome warrior, Eragon knew when was outmatched, magical exhausted and trying to protect a girl-child. Sharing a glance with Saphira, he thought, _Take Amy on to Ellesméra and get help. I'll hold them off till then._

_Are you sure, Eragon? They could be after her._

_Judging from the look on her face, I don't think so. She looks just as baffled as us._

The dragon seemed to consider it for a moment, then nodded her head.

Unable to help the scream that came from her throat as Saphira easily picked her up by her shirt collar and swung her into place on the saddle, Amy scowled at the mass of blue scales in front of her. "What's going on?" Amy asked out loud, only to hear an unfamiliar female voice answer.

_We are going to go get help. Strap your legs in, hurry._

Even as Amy's suddenly shaking fingers fumbled with the straps, an arrow came in past Eragon's defenses and became lodged in his shoulder. Even Amy knew he couldn't hold off so many attackers with an injury like that. Digging into her mental well of calm and strength as she ignored Saphira's sudden bellow of outrage, she grabbed his suddenly reaching hand and pulled him up behind her. She slid forward and easily buckled his legs to the side of the saddle, then used the arm straps to jerry-rig herself in.

"Revenge later, Saphira." Amy finally snapped, when the dragon was too distracted to notice they were both ready for flight. "Eragon needs a healer."

As if her words really snapped her out of her blood rage, the blue dragon took to the sky, her wings pounding the air fiercely to gain the much needed altitude. Looking back over Eragon's shoulder, Amy was relieved to see that their enemies were far behind her.

Dredging up her meager knowledge of any kind of weapons, she asked Eragon, "Can you tell if the arrow's poisoned?"

Speaking through gritted teeth, he said, "No."

Exasperated, she said, "No, you can't tell, or no, it isn't poisoned?"

_The latter._ Saphira answered when Eragon didn't. It was obvious to Amy, even though she had only been on the dragon once and that was for a brief dive that lasted five seconds, that she was trying to keep the flight as even as possible so she didn't jar her Rider.

"Well, we had better leave it be, then." Saphira snorted as if to say that her statement was the obvious. The dragon seemed to ignore her after that, and for that Amy was grateful. She was having trouble with her fear of heights again. She entirely blamed Clay. If he hadn't forced her into doing all sorts of stupid crap, she would have stayed with her feet on the ground and never known that she even had it. Now, though, she forced herself to take deep, calming breaths.

_Look down. It's not so bad._

Glaring down towards the dragon at Saphira's amused suggestion, she said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

_You know, Eragon was nervous when he first rode me._

"Oh?'

_Yes. Bad experiences haunted him, but he soon learned to love it._

"I'm not like most people." She said simply, and left it at that. She tugged on her sleeves so they covered her arm a little better, gooseflesh appearing from the cold of being higher up. As Saphira began to descend, Amy knew that she was entering…wherever it was that they were taking her. While some of her friends who were fantasy freaks would probably kill for this opportunity, all she felt was air-sickness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter, and I have the third lying here on my zip drive as I try to finish it. I'm really inspired to write this, for some strange reason!**

**Disclaimer: Come on! You know Christopher Paloni owns the Inheritance series! And you know I'm not a guy! You do the math!**

Arriving at Ellesméra was not what Amy expected. Eragon was quickly rushed to a nearby home to be checked over by a healer. She was kept to the side, the elves obviously wary of her. She was tolerant, though all she wanted was to be sent back home.

Even as an unfamiliar elf finished healing his shoulder, Eragon grinned as Arya came rushing in. She shooed the other elves away, then bent over to examine his shoulder herself.

Only when she was satisfied with the healing did she demand, "Why were you on the ground in the first place? You could have easily avoided them if you had only stayed airborne."

Sighing, knowing that getting her to talk about anything else would be useless, Eragon explained the entire incident, beginning with Saphira spotting Amy as she fell, with the dragon's occasional input. When he was finished, Arya's brow was furrowed as she thought.

Finally, she said, "I too get lost in her thoughts. Perhaps it is simply an aspect of her, or it may be that she has potential as a magician of some sort, and no one where she is from noticed. I think we should watch her over the next few days. Meanwhile, I'll have the elves interested most in magic try and figure out how she came here."

Saphira thought defensively, _It almost feels as if her mind is automatically reaching for another, as if it is used to the presence of another mind. Eragon's did the same, though not as loudly, when he first found my egg. She could a Rider-to-be._

"She is too old." Arya argued. "While I am all for stretching the limits, we both know a Rider being chosen as old as Eragon and Murtagh were is rare, and simply speaks of the circumstances of the times."

Eragon quickly agreed with his lady, eager to keep her happy. His dragon, however, secretly began to think…

Amy sighed from her place on her newly assigned bed. She hadn't heard anything from Saphira or Eragon since they arrived, and it was annoying the hell out of her. Instead of spending her time with them, learning things that any other Eragon fan would kill to know, she was instead trapped spending time with a bunch of female elves that she didn't know, as they prattled about current elven politics.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of someone knocking at her door. Frowning, she stood up and straightened the dress being loaned to her, her feet subconsciously leading her to the door. As she cracked it open, she was faced with an unfamiliar messenger.

"Lady Saphira sent this to you." He said matter-of-factly, thrusting out a leather-bound packaged with a note tied to the top. Amy thanked him and took the package from him. Closing the door absent-mindedly, she didn't even notice when her fingers clicked the lock in place.

Sitting down at the edge of her bed, she opened the note first, wondering who Saphira had asked to write it, or if she had somehow tapped into her magic. The answer was obvious, what with how there were no pressure points or indentions that indicated the ink had been placed using a tool. Magic had been used to scrawl the words. Her lips tilting in an amused smile, Amy turned her attention to the words themselves.

_Amy-_

_This is something very precious to Glaedr, Thorn, and myself. I hope I am not being foolish trusting you with it. None of the Riders know I have done this, and neither does Thorn, seeing as he is too far away for me to communicate with easily. Let no one know you have it. Keep it with you at all times, and if nothing happens within two weeks or so, bring it back to me and no one will be the wiser._

_I do not know where your strange knowledge of us comes from, but if anything happens, I trust you will know what to do. Destroy this note as soon as you finish reading it._

_-Saphira_

Beyond curious now, the teenage girl held the note to the candle and let the flame catch, feeling lucky for the first time that she had been given a lesser room. Then, with eager fingers, she opened the package and pushed aside the leather to reveal several layers of silk and velvet to cushion whatever was inside. Once she reached the center of the cocoon, she gasped.

It was a dragon egg.

It fit every description from the book as to what it should look like, though different in a unique way. The stone-like shell was a soft green, only a little brighter than Amy's eye color, with white veins scattering the surface. Much like Eragon had noted with Saphira's egg, it was lighter then what it should have been, and it seemed to fall naturally into her hands.

Only after a few minutes of stunned contemplation did Amy realize what this meant.

Saphira thought she had what it took to be a Rider.

_Oh heavens…_ Amy thought desperately. _If only her faith wasn't misplaced…_ For surely someone like Amy couldn't be a Rider. She was complete and utter klutz. Her knowledge of weaponry was scanty at best. And let's not forget her phobia of heights. Sure, she knew a little about magic and healing, but that wasn't enough to compensate! Okay, so she was an expert chess player, and understood strategy and tactics better than anyone else. So what? Surely that didn't qualify her as…

As a Rider.

Amy took a deep, shuttering breath then reached over and grabbed the leather satchel Arya had given her when she arrived to hold things in. Carefully, she lined the soft brown leather with the same silk and velvet Saphira had sent the egg then. Once she was sure that it would be well cushioned and easy to hide, she tucked the precious treasure inside and pulled the corners of fabric over the shiny jade surface. She was buckling the particular compartment closed when a knock came at the door; she yelled, "Just a minute."

Eragon scowled at the door at Amy's reply. He was finally given free time, and she was making him wait? Perturbed, he knocked again.

Scowling in the direction of the door as she swung the strap over her shoulder, Amy snapped, "It's unlocked. Just come on in."

Stunned by her audacity, Eragon hesitated a moment before reaching for the door handle, only to scowl deeper when it proved to be locked. "Amy, it isn't unlocked." He spoke loud enough to carry through the door.

Cursing loudly at her luck, Amy hurried forward and opened the door for him. "Well, you look like you're in a pleasant mood." She noted casually.

"Why was your door locked?" he asked moodily.

She shrugged. "I didn't realize I locked it."

Rolling his eyes at her scatter-brained tendencies, Eragon led her outside. He had arranged for a tour of the city with Arya, so Amy wouldn't be so bored. However, she appeared mildly distracted all day. When he asked her what was wrong, she answered, "I keep comparing it to home. It's very different." Seeing as it was the first time she had even mentioned where she came from, he didn't interrupt her thoughts again.

That night, Amy unpacked the egg and set it on the pillow next to her, running her fingers over the surface until she fell asleep.

For two weeks, she settled into the elven city and kept a close eye on Saphira's gift. She had even begun to think of it as _her_ egg. She wasn't sure what she would do if it didn't hatch for her. When day after day passed without it hatching, she finally gave up and that night, exactly two weeks later, she prepared to send the egg back unhatched.

That night, she woke up to find that the jade-toned shell under her fingertips was wiggling. Startled, she sat up and ran her hand over it again. She heard a peep come from inside, and the wiggling grew louder as cracks appeared in the surface.

"Oh heavens…" she whispered. When the dragon inside squeaked again and the trembling shell stopped, Amy whispered, "Don't stop. Please don't stop." When it gave a hesitant shake, she said encouragingly, "Come on out, little one. I'm here, I'm waiting."

As if those were the words it needed to here, the shell quite literally fell apart. Out tumbled a jade-green dragon, though it wasn't as large as Amy would have thought, given the description she had of Saphira as a hatchling. Hiding her smile with her hand when she saw the awkward movements of the hatchling, she held her hand out for it. Very dark green eyes faced her, and it let her touch its side. Unlike Eragon's wild cry, she just gritted her teeth and withstood the pain, watching in fascination as the gedwëy ignasia appeared on her right palm. When the tendril of consciousness approached her mind, she accepted it readily. It was almost like the bond she had before, with… Well, with someone close to her.

That night, the hatchling curled up in the crook of Amy's arm against her stomach, the two looking perfect together.

The next morning, Amy slowly dressed in a bright white shirt and brown leggings. She pulled on a lady's tunic, one that fell to just above the knee, made of soft green velvet. The little dragon was watching her curiously. She could feel its hunger pains, though she tried to sooth it by thinking, _Soon, my love. Soon._ As she pulled her thick-soled boots on, the hatchling teasingly nibbled on her fingertips. Laughing, Amy tickled its tummy in response. Then, grabbing the white leather gloves that she wore when the weather grew nippy compared to her home in Arizona, she picked up the hatchling and approached the leather bag from before.

"Now listen, sweetling," she whispered to the hatchling. It looked at her with loving emerald eyes, and Amy couldn't help smiling. "I'm going to put you in that pouch, alright? Then we're going to go to the others. They need to know you hatched, and I'm sure Saphira or Glaedr will be able to catch you something to eat." As she thought of the other dragons, she felt the hatchling get excited at the idea. It eagerly crawled into the pouch, and didn't even squeak as Amy pulled the strap over her shoulder and started walking.

As she walked down the stairs, she kept her dragon-marked right hand over the bag, constantly sending feelings of reassurance and love to the hatchling. She felt equal feelings being returned, and knew she probably had a smile constantly tugging at her lips.

She didn't feel alone anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

**New chapter! Sorry it took me so long, I've been busy and I've felt like crap…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, so just go on reading.**

Amy had to occasionally check her copy of Eldest for directions, but she knew she was on the right path to Oromis's clearing. She could feel the little dragon growing hungrier by the minute, and regretted that she didn't have anything to feed it.

When she stumbled into the clearing, grumbling at the tree root her foot had gotten tangled in, she could tell that she had surprised everyone there. Looking up, she found that Eragon and Oromis had been in mid-conversation, Saphira and Glaedr sitting around the edges of the clearing. All four sets of eyes were taking her in.

An unfamiliar consciousness pressed against hers, though it quickly withdrew before barely brushing against hers again. _Who are you?_ the deep male voice asked, even as Glaedr's chin jutted out towards her.

"Amy, what are you doing here? How did you find this place?" Eragon questioned sharply.

Gulping, the teenage girl didn't look at either of the males, and instead fixed her gaze on Saphira, mentally trying to tell her what happened. Even as Glaedr's eyes widened, the great blue dragon came forward and nudged the pack.

_The little one is hungry…_ Amy heard Saphira comment.

"I brought it as quickly as I could without attracting attention," Amy quickly defended herself.

"Brought what?" Oromis finally asked, fixing his gaze on her.

Suddenly nervous, it took another fierce hunger pang from the hatchling for her to reach inside the pouch to pull out the little jade dragon. The instant shock on both Riders' faces was only added by neither Saphira nor Glaedr recoiling. Instead, the giant gold male thought towards everyone, _We have been operating under a misunderstanding._

"What do you mean, old friend?" Oromis asked, even as he held out his hands. Only with great reluctance did Amy let him hold her new partner.

_The hatchling is female._

"That's impossible!" Amy was surprisingly the first one to protest. "At the Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh specifically said that the remaining egg was male. How Gallbatorix knew it is unknown, but it is still there! Hell, we don't know how that crazy knew the things he did… Like how the hell he aged Thorn so fast, or had gained power out of no where. But for all his insanity, he was still logical!"

Ignoring everyone's shock at her intense knowledge of these events, Glaedr explained to her, _Dragons can sense the gender of the dragon lying in the eggs. However, Shruikan was driven insane by his forced bond to Galbatorix. I doubt that he could really tell, he was just eager to please his master. Honestly, none of the rest of us thought to check his analysis._

_He can tell now because female hatchlings are typically smaller than males, though I was a large hatchling and Thorn was small, so we looked about the same. _Saphira added.

"Not to mention she's not as broad in the neck, and her spikes are smaller." Amy absently added. Oromis handed the hatchling back to her, and she ran her hand over her head, even as she began to softly croon.

"Well… I guess this means we have a new Rider to train, Eragon." Oromis said mildly. Amy looked up at him, startled. "You do have the mark under your glove, if I am not mistaken, my dear?"

"Yeah… I just wanted to keep people from noticing before I had a chance to tell you." she admitted sheepishly.

Amazingly, the old elf nodded. "That was good thinking on your part. Now, your name?"

"Amy." When Saphira and the hatchling both nudged her, she scowled before finally admitting, "Amalthia Rose Archer."

Eragon's eyebrows rose. This was the first she had mentioned of a middle or surname. Oromis didn't comment, simply asking, "And your family is made up of…?"

"It's just been my father and I for a while now," she said evenly, though both men sensed there was more there. Rather than press, Oromis merely asked about her mother. Amy admitted easily, "My mother left my father when I was only six. Her parents had been well off all her life, seeing as her father was a store owner. At the time of their marriage, my father's parents and he himself were also reasonably wealthy. However, a long drought and a series of bad winters during the beginning of their marriage quickly drained the finances. My mother couldn't take having to work part-time just to make ends meet, so she left. She calls occasionally to make sure we're still alive, but that's about it."

The little dragon raised its head and nudged her Rider again, sensing the very mild ache still remaining after so long. Amy absently patted its head, her mind in a whirl at the moment.

_What will you call her?_

Glaedr's sudden question pulled Amy out of her daze. "I beg pardon?" she said, confused.

The great dragon's eyes were filled with laughter as he though again, _The little one. What will you call her?_

Eragon had come to sit beside Amy as she thought, and he hesitantly reached over and ran a finger over the hatchling's wing. "She's such a strange color… I'm used to the brighter colors, I suppose, but this faded out green…"

Amy's attention instantly turned towards him as she snapped, "And what exactly is wrong with this 'faded out green'?" she snapped, her eyes that were the exact same color turning fierce.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Eragon hastily corrected himself. "It's almost like jade!"

Nodding firmly, Amy said, "I thought as much." Suddenly, inspiration struck her. Running her own hand down the hatchling's back, she whispered, "Jadia…"

The hatchling's conscious reached out and took the name from her mind, slowly seeming to turn it over in its head. Finally, its joyful acceptance flooded Amy, and she wasn't able to help the smile that spread across her face.

_I believe I was quite right to give you that egg…_ Saphira mused, looking at the newest pair of partners kindly.

"I think so too…" Amy whispered back.

Glaedr's great head appeared beside her, and he had a small rabbit in his mouth. Gently, he set it on the ground. Amy hadn't even noticed him leaving to hunt. She carefully set the little dragon down beside it, and she eagerly began to tear into the meat. Amy was just relieved the hunger pains were finally fading…

Or not. Her own stomach growled pitifully and she couldn't help but blush.

"You came rushing down, straight out of bed, didn't you?" Oromis asked in amusement. Sheepishly, Amy nodded. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised. Come. Let us go inside, and we will discuss your training." With one last look at the hatchling, who was being thoroughly watched by Glaedr and Saphira, the teenage girl followed the older elf, Eragon right behind her. Both men pretended not to notice how nervous she was with both of them so close to her.

They sat down around the table inside, Oromis gesturing for her to help herself to a bowl of fruit sitting in the center of the surface. Willingly, Amy took an orange and began to work off the peel. Oromis watched her meticulous way of moving the peel away from the fruit, then carefully pulling it apart according to how the fruit naturally fell. She nibbled on a piece to make sure it wasn't too sweet or too tart for her; she was obviously satisfied with the flavor and began to eat. Once she was finished, Oromis said, "Would you please remove your gloves? I would like to examine your hands, if that is alright."

Blinking, Amy smiled and said, "Of course. I remember, you did the same thing with Eragon, though he argued over what you found." The other Rider in the room scowled, though she pointedly ignored him as she carefully removed her gloves. She then offered them both to the waiting Oromis.

"Hmm…" the elf murmured, running his fingertips lightly along her palms, not surprised when she twitched in response. "There are calluses here, though not from any weapon I know."

"Not a weapon." Amy admitted. "An instrument. I play several."

Eragon moved so he could see her hands better and asked curiously, "What instruments?"

"One is a string instrument, the violin. You run a bow of sorts over the strings to produce notes, and that bow is what caused some of the calluses. Others are from the piano, another instrument that works with pressure on keys connected to wires. I honestly don't think my flute caused any of them, though…" Amy said absent-mindedly, watching Oromis's face for hints as to what he was thinking, only to receive nothing; his face was carefully blank.

Oromis nodded and released her hands with a sigh. "You obviously value music, to sacrifice the smoothness of your hands for them. You've never picked up a weapon, though you cook some, judging from the occasional scars I found from nicking your fingers with a knife. These hands have also held many a book and pen, so you are obviously well educated."

" 'Many a book', you aren't kidding." Amy couldn't help joking. "I read all the time. In fact, that was something I wanted to show you two." Grabbing her pack, she opened the second pouch where she hadn't been keeping Jadia (in and out of her egg), and pulled out her copy of Eldest. "You both may want to read this…" she said, handing it to Oromis. "It's why I seem to know as much as I do…"

The older elf flipped through the book's pages in amusement, until he actually took in what it had written on it. Then his face paled, and he examined the text more closely. "Where did you…?" he gasped out, obviously amazed.

"They are available all over the place back home. There, it is part of a series by a guy named Christopher Paloni." Amy admitted. "A fictional series."

"Fictional?" Eragon repeated.

"Entirely. There aren't elves, dwarves, dragons, or magic of any kind back home. Least, none that are proven to be little more than slight of hand." Amy said nonchalantly.

Oromis took this in, setting the book aside. "Very well. This should make your training…interesting."

_Somehow, I doubt that is a good thing._ Amy thought glumly.

**Note on the orange thing: I needed a fruit that doesn't need cut into, and is easily pulled apart. What is better than an orange? I'm well aware that it probably wasn't a fruit the elves had available to them, but that's why this is fanfiction!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I live! I live! MUHAHAHAHAHA! (coughs) Ahem. Anyway, a quick note at the beginning of this chapter:**

**There is a mention of two rather… well, frowned on… lifestyles in this chapter: goth and gay. Together. I know, crazy. I didn't intentionally set that out, it just happened (in my true blue style. Remind me to tell you about how I ended up bringing a little girl who went crazy after the death of her father back to life in an original piece of mine). If it offends you, I apologize. However, it is mentioned here, and maybe a few times in the future. Either deal, or don't read. Notice flaming isn't an option. I'll borrow Zar'roc from Murtagh and stab it through any flames that pop up in my e-mail. On that note, I would appreciate reviews. They let me know what you like, what you dislike, what I need to work on, etc. Please send them my way!**

**Disclaimer: I joined the little Academy Random House is hosting in honor of the third book, but that's as close to owning a piece of this as I get.**

Glaring at Eragon, Amy said simply, "Hell. No."

Scowling back at her, he asked, "Are you always this argumentative?"

"Does it matter? No."

"Amy, you will have to let someone do it eventually."

"Says who? The only person I _have _to let in isn't even a human, technically. And you aren't her!"

"Is there a problem here, Riders?" Oromis's voice unexpectedly asked. The elf had left the two alone, for Eragon to test Amy for the basics while he made sure the little female hatchling was fully formed. He held the jade dragon in his arms, assured that she was in perfect health, and looked between the two fighting humans in amusement. Eragon was obviously flustered, while the teenage female opposite him looked completely calm.

"She's being pig-headed," Eragon almost growled.

The teenage girl in question snapped back, "_I'm _being pig-headed? What does that make you? Besides a royal pain in the ass, I mean." Both the male Riders were obviously taken back by her profanity. She rolled her eyes in response, "My best friend is a goth ceramics artist, who is dating another goth, who is studying metal working. Trust me, my language isn't lady-like in the slightest."

"So we've noticed," the elder Rider said dryly. "And what, exactly, is a goth?"

The teenage girl snickered. "It's a lifestyle," she said, "that most people don't approve of. Though, Clay and Adam don't really care, which is part of the whole goth thing. The rest is a whole lot of black clothing, usually accented by white skulls printed on it and chains, and more black eye liner, lipstick, nail polish, and hair dye than most girls admit to having." She paused and tilted her head, "Well, actually, Adam bleached his hair and dyes the ends red, but meh."

"Wait, _Clay _and _Adam_?" Eragon asked in surprise.

In response, the teen glowered at him. "Please tell me you are not homophobic," she asked dryly.

Before Eragon could protest, Oromis held up his hand to silence their bickering. "Eragon has encountered elves who have made similar choices in partners, but knows that most humans view the practice with distaste," the elf explained.

"Makes sense," the teenager accepted with a shrug, "Clay's family disowned him, and Adam is on speaking terms only with his mom and sister. His two older brothers and his dad were not thrilled when he told them."

Oromis nodded, then addressed his first student, "Now, what are you asking her to do that she is refusing?" 

"I was wanting her to allow me entrance to her mind. It would make it easier to find out what she does know, what she can do, and she has left to learn-."

"No way in hell," the female insisted again. "First, I like my privacy. Clay could tell you the number of times I have beat him upside the head for barging into my room without knocking. Second, do you remember what happened last time you got sucked into my thoughts? If I remember right, Saphira had to _bite_ you to bring you back to the present."

"You were upset at the time-" Eragon argued.

"I wasn't focused," she countered. "You don't want to know what happens in my head when I'm actually paying attention to something." The Rider opposite her scowled, but gave up. He had a feeling this wasn't an argument he was going to win.

_About time you realized that, _Saphira told him smugly.

Finally, Oromis handed a squirming Jadia to her Rider. Instantly, the hard lines that her young face held in anger melted away, and she crooned to the hatchling softly. It was odd to see the sudden transformation in her face and temper. However, the elf made a gesture for all three of them to sit down and so the inquisition began.

Standing and stretching with a groan, Amy winced as parts of her spine actually popped from her being in the same position for too long. They had spent the better part of the day picking through her knowledge. It had quickly become clear that teachers would have to be found to teach her about weaponry, seeing as she was clueless. Eragon agreed that, once she found the little part of her mind the magic was in, he would teach her in the same way as Brom and Oromis taught him. Saphira agreed to show her the basics of riding a dragon, so when Jadia came to the right size she would be a few steps ahead. It was going to leave her very busy for a long time.

A sudden rush of hunger hit her out of nowhere. Looking down at the hatchling that had fallen asleep in her lap during the long discussion, she had moved the little bundle of jade scales to the forest floor when she stood to stretch. She was now awake, and obviously hungry. When Amy picked up the hatchling, she looked to Saphira to find out what was needed. _Glaedr and I will hunt for her for now. She's a little small to hunt for herself, _the blue female told the newest Rider kindly. _Here in a week or so, she will be larger and we can begin to teach her the basics of hunting. However, our eating habits tend to bother humans and elves. Why don't we take her for now, and you can go with Oromis and Eragon to eat back with the others. I'm sure the elves are eager to know what all the commotion is about._

_Thank you, Saphira,_ Amy said silently, though she suspected Eragon heard, and placed Jadia on top of the older female's back. The hatchling seemed to fit there perfectly, and the two dragons headed back to where Glaedr was waiting for them to go on a hunting trip; it had been awhile since the two older dragons had taken one for themselves.

Absently, Amy tugged on her gloves again until Oromis's hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, his grip gentle but still making her tense up. "You are a Rider among friends here," he assured the girl, releasing her wrist once he felt her stiffen. "There is no need for you to hide your mark." With obvious reluctance, she put her gloves into the now empty pack; her copy of Eldest was still on Oromis's table, so the Mourning Sage could examine it more thoroughly at a later date.

The three Riders headed through the trees, their pace slower than normal because of Amy's inevitable clumsiness. The two men were amused as, with each trip, she only grumbled under her breath and dusted off whatever had hit the ground. It was obviously a daily, if not hourly, experience for her, though an odd trait for a Dragon Rider.

Oromis left his two students to find their meals as he sought out two of the weapons masters to help Amy learn the basics of handling a sword and bow. They, in turn, were given the duty of finding lunch. "Do you want to find the fruit, while I procure some bread and cheese?" Eragon asked politely, trying to be civil. He was surprised when Amy agreed readily enough, and the two separated to look at what was available to them.

Picking through the fruit present to her, Amy was pleased to find that it was much easier to find perfectly ripened and unbruised fruit then it was back home. She had already accepted, partially, that she was here to stay. The chances of her going home, Jadia in tow, were slim to none. In a way, perhaps it was for the best…

"Miss? Are you needing something?"

Amy jerked her head up when the female elf running the stand asked her a question. "Oh, yes," she said quickly gesturing to the fruit she had picked out. As the elf in response placed the fruit in a canvas bag for her, Amy tried not to go back to her previous train of thought. Thanking the elf for her help, the teenage girl turned around, intending to find Eragon, only to run head first into another elf, this one an unfamiliar male.

Scrambling not to drop the bag, she breathed a sigh in relief when she caught it, only to hear the elf she had run into chuckling. "Are you always so clumsy?" he asked teasingly.

"Unfortunately," she admitted. "Sorry about running into you like that."

"No worries. Are you looking for someone?" he asked her, as she moved out from in front of him to look around. "Perhaps I can help you find them."

"I'm looking for Eragon," she admitted readily enough. "A group of us are supposed to eat lunch together."

The male elf smiled and offered her his arm. "Well, allow me to escort you to him." Sensing her hesitation, he lowered his arm and said more gently, "I'll at least walk with you, in case you get lost."

"That wouldn't be surprising," she commented dryly, though she let him walk beside her. "I only arrived yesterday."

"Oh!" A spark of recognition appeared in the elf's eye. "You are that one, the young human lady who arrived with Lady Saphira and her Rider yesterday! I remember now… You had the strangest clothes."

"Compared to the fashion here, I suppose," Amy admitted, not wanting to offend him or take offense. "Though back home, I would have been considered up to date, if a little modest."

"Modest?" Amy couldn't help but laugh at the bafflement the much older male showed. He soon enough joined in her laughter.

"Vanir?" the two looked up as Eragon approached, another canvas bag with a loaf of bread peeking out of it in his hands. Amy instantly paled and looked to the elf beside her, recognizing the name. Regardless, Eragon continued in his own, blissfully unaware way, "I see you've met Amy. I'm surprised you took to her so well."

The girl took a step back as the male elf turned to look at her more closely, answering Eragon, "Why wouldn't I?"

Eragon blinked and said, "Because she is our newest Rider. You took forever to warm up to my brother and-." He shut up when he saw the look that had crossed the elf's face.

"You couldn't keep your big mouth shut, could ya?" the teenage girl grumbled, not liking Vanir's expression anymore than the other Rider.


	5. Chapter 5

**I give you an update! Thanks everyone for reading (82 views and… 3 reviews for the last chapter (cries at the lack of reviews)), and hopefully this next one will answer a question I hope has been brewing in the back of your mind concerning Amy and her reaction to others and their touch…**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Christopher Paloni, huh? No, no I don't. He comes from the land of mountains and rain, I come from the land of… flatland and drought.**

"Dragon Rider? This girl, this… This…" Vanir was lost for words as he gestured towards Amy. Her eyes narrowed in response, daring him to continue with what he was saying. Instead, he skipped the insults and said in outrage, "She is a human!"

"No duh," she said in response. Eragon gave her a look to indicate that she clearly wasn't helping.

"All three of the new Riders are human!" Vanir continued relentlessly, "And all three eggs were kept by Gallbatorix before returning to our custody. The mad man must have spelled them to only hatch for humans; the dragons did not choose truly! Not to mention, this child is a mere female, and human females are weaker than all the other races!"

Amy let him rant, then finally interrupted him calmly, "Are you done yet?" When he stared at her in disbelief, she stalked forward again and began to poke him in the chest to accent what she was saying, her tone full of fury. "Now listen here, you bull-headed, egotistical, sexist, prejudice pig. I may be human and I may be female, but there are things I know you can't disagree with. Dragons have their own magic, one that is uncontrollable and never understood. Even as eggs, they most likely can protect themselves from being misled, and they have shown good judgment with the other two Riders, waiting for someone with a good heart and the kind of true dedication needed by these times. As for these three eggs in particular, they were already spelled before Gallbatorix got his slimy hands on them, so he couldn't have tinkered with them, unless you doubt your own Mourning Sage. And as for human females being weak, while we aren't physically capable of competing with elves, we have more courage and more strength than any male. Unless you want to tell me you've experienced labor pains at some point in your life." Satisfied that she had put him in his place, she turned to stalk away, only to feel a bone-crushing pressure on her right wrist.

Vanir hissed as he mercilessly turned the female around towards him again, "You dare insult me so?"

"Let me go," she demanded of him, only the slightest of waivers in her voice. When he didn't immediately release her, she said more sharply, "Let me go!" Her pupils were completely dilated, and she was struggling against him furiously. Before Vanir could retort, he found his mind being completely flooded with images and music.

"_You'll never know the way your words have haunted me. I can't believe you'd ask these things of me. You don't know me, now or ever."_

_There was a pressure on his chest, forcing him down against something soft and fluffy. He couldn't tell what anything was because of the excoriating pain he was suffering from. It felt like he was being ripped in half. "Jesse! Jesse, get off me!" He felt his mouth move to say the words, but the voice he recognized as the new Rider screaming, "Let me go! You're hurting me!"_

"_Wake up in a dream, frozen in fear. All your hands on me, I can't scream, I can't scream."_

"_Now, Amy, why should I stop? My girlfriend won't give me what I want, so you'll have to do. Unless you want me to force myself on her?" he heard a strange male hiss in his ear, his voice slurring. Vanir could smell the intense alcohol on his breath; this man was stinking drunk. He felt himself drifting away, choosing to try and ignore the pain he was in rather than risk this other girl. The protective feeling this inspired in him hinted that this girl he was in knew Jesse's girlfriend and was close with her._

Releasing the girl's wrist as the pain from the memory reached new heights, he found himself gasping for breath. The female human jerked away instantly, moving to where she had her back pressed against a tree. Her entire body was shaking like a leaf, and she was equally out of breath as him. As quickly as possible, she curled up into a ball, her face hidden in her knees. Everyone stared, obviously confused as to what was going on. "Her mind…" Vanir whispered, "I just got sucked into a memory of hers…"

"I've had the experience," Eragon told him soothingly," It took pain to bring me-."

"_Can't save your life, though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting…_" They heard a soft, mellow alto voice sing. They all turned and stared, finding the source of the music to be the shaking girl. Her voice had grown louder towards the end, and now it was easy to hear. Her voice carried very well, so all the elves heard her continue, _"I'm losing my mind and you just stand there and stare as my world divides."_ Amy's hands clenched into fists as she finished, and she finally threw her head back, revealing tears were streaming down her face. "_You belong to me, my snow white queen. There's nowhere to run so let's just get it over. Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me. Don't scream anymore, my love, cause all I want is you."_ She repeated the last line a couple of times, resting her forehead back on her knees as she tried to calm herself.

"Amy…" Eragon breathed. The new Rider was still shaking physically, but her tears had at least stopped. She didn't look up when he knelt beside her, but she flinched away when he reached over to comfort her. His hand paused in mid-air, and he said in shock, "Amy, it's me… It's Era-."

"Eragon!" Arya's sharp voice made Eragon back up and look at his lady. "Eragon," she said more kindly, "Move away from her." The male Rider did as she suggested, and the elven woman took his place. Even from her, the teenage girl flinched away, but she didn't react further once the princess had her arm around the common-born girl's shoulders. Arya ran her fingers through the dense, curly hair, murmuring to Amy soothingly. Slowly, the girl's limbs stopped shaking, and her body relaxed in the other woman's arms. Once her breath evened out, the princess nodded at one of her handmaidens, and the new elf woman took the sleeping teenager into her arms and began to carry her away.

The crowd watched them leave, and then began to disperse. Vanir stayed with Eragon and Arya, waiting patiently for them to explain. "What did I see?" he finally demanded of them softly.

"A memory… One of many, I would assume, for it to be so strong in her," Arya said, her tone careful. "I put her into a calm sleep to help ease her away from her fears. She should wake up in a couple of hours, no longer in that fragile state. It is then we can figure out exactly what you saw. However, you can tell us what you remember."

Vanir nodded and rubbed his hand over his face, "It is all a blur, now that I'm not in the middle of it. There was a heavy weight on my… Or, I suppose her, chest, keeping her pinned down. She was pleading for someone named Jesse to let her go. There was the smell of alcohol on his breath, more than enough to make a man stupid and cruel. And the pain… It was mind-numbing and constant, tearing at her… I'm not sure how she survived."

The two elves and the Rider shared similar looks and then turned to look in the direction where the girl in question had been carried. All wondered what the trauma was she experienced, and how deep her scars ran.

_Laughing and joking, the three teenagers tossed their backpacks into the storage bin of a large pick-up. One was a tall, thin boy, his muscles lean rather than bulky. His hair was dyed solid black, and was on the long side, and his eyes were a bright, icy blue. Another was of similar height, though far bulkier in build, with bleached blonde hair, the tips dyed red and spiked up, accenting his amber brown eyes. They were more affectionate with each other than their companion, and both were dressed entirely in black, with similar make-up. Their companion was a shorter, though still on the thin side, with curly brunette hair and jade green eyes. She was dressed comfortably in jeans tucked into brown boots, an emerald green turtleneck sweater, and a similar green ribbon was woven through her hair, being tugged at by the wind._

_Climbing into the truck, the girl was surprisingly the driver, with the dark-haired boy taking the passenger seat and the blonde boy climbing into the back seat of the four-door cab. "TGIF..." the boy in front said, throwing his arm over his face dramatically and ignoring the driver's slight frown. "I had so many projects due this week…"_

"_It was the week before finals," the girl answered lightly, "You shouldn't be so surprised, Clay."_

"_So says Amy, the person who had her final compositions ready and turned in at the beginning of the week, four days ahead of schedule," the boy in the back teased._

_Clay turned and gave his boyfriend a mock glare, "Are you hinting that my best friend is an over achiever?" Adam just smiled back at him innocently._

_  
Before things traveled down their usually route with these two, Amy hit Clay on the shoulder without taking her eyes off of the other cars in the parking lot as she worked her way through the stampede. "Turn around and put on your seatbelt," she ordered, "I'm not taking crap from the school cops because of you."_

"_You are absolutely no fun, Ames," Clay pouted, though doing as she said._

"_Cry me a river," she answered automatically, though she flinched away from Clay's hand when he reached for her._

"_What's up with that?" Adam unexpectedly asked. "You've been really jumpy the past few months, especially when someone reaches out to touch you…"_

"_It's nothing," she muttered, tugging on her turtleneck self-consciously. It was the only hint Clay needed. He reached up and pulled the cloth down further, only to have both boys gasp in shock. Bruises, dark, fresh, and shaped like fingers encircled her neck, overlapping with similar bruises that were just healing._

_Clay breathed out, "My God…" while Adam moved to look at the bruises more closely. "Christ, Amy, who did this to you? Your dad?"_

"_Oh, as if, Clay," Adam answered for her, "That man loves Amy; she's his moon and sun. He wouldn't do this to her…"_

"_Would you both leave it be?" she snapped at them. "The man who did it is dead."_

"_Dead?" Clay blinked in response, looking at her in confusion. "But the only person who died recently is… Oh, Amy, no… Not Jesse? He wouldn't do that to-."_

"_He was drunk," she said sharply, though her voice softened a little a second later, "I think the first time he walked into my room by mistake. After that, he found a way to be the perfect boyfriend while still getting what he wanted."_

_The bleach blonde boy shook his head and fixed her shirt, "You stayed silent, for all this time…"_

"_It's my job to protect," the teenage girl who sometimes seemed so much older answered with a shrug._

Opening her eyes, Amy wanted to close them again. They would know, now, what had happened to her. Vanir had seen enough to raise questions, she was sure. The panic had returned, despite her struggle with it for the past six months after Jesse's death. It was as uncontrollable as a hurricane, and nowhere near as easy to predict. At times, it felt like another personality inside of her, one that asserted dominance at the worst possible moment. Her concern for Jadia grew, till she felt the little dragon curled up on her side. Saphira and Glaedr had returned, then, and soon enough she would have to answer questions. For now, she curled around her precious hatchling, taking comfort in the even breaths and rumblings of the jade dragon's stomach digesting her latest gorge.

**Review, I beg you! And the song in Amy's head and that she sung was "Snow White Queen" by Evanescense.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so technically you all shouldn't be getting an update yet. However, I'm stuck on my Digimon story (it isn't exactly motivating when hardly no one reviews it) and Amy is yelling in my head to address the current problem and prove to xlilypadsx that Amy is not a Mary Sue. She won out, and I'm working on what is the last chapter of Jadia's life as a hatchling. Yes, I'm time skipping, about six months. Paloni did it, I can do it too.**

**Disclaimer: I own a website now! It's my homepage on my profile! However, that's about it. Paloni has all rights, I don't, no copyright infringement intended, blah blah blah.**

Walking into the room, Eragon wasn't surprised to see the youngest Rider curled up around her dragon, the two of them even breathing in sync. Behind him, Oromis was waiting patiently for him to stop blocking the doorway. The dusky blonde-haired man did exactly that, letting in both Oromis and Arya. Rather than stay standing, the elven woman moved to sit on the edge of the bed, brushing Amy's bang away from her forehead gently. "She isn't warm to the touch, anymore," she whispered softly, her voice easily carrying to the two men. "The slight fever is gone… Oromis, you know more of healing than I. Is such a minor fever normal with memories?"

"Sometimes our bodies cannot deal with our mental trauma, so they fight it as they would an illness," he said, moving to stand beside Amy's bed. "She has seen much in her time, though I am unsure as to what Vanir saw. Who that man was, what exactly he was doing… Only Amy knows the answers to that, and we must not press her to talk about it. To do so could only make the damage worse, and she may say nothing anyway."

"That's right…" Both elves and the one Rider jumped when they heard Amy speak. She sat up, scooting slightly so that her back was pressed against the headboard. Waking briefly herself, Jadia moved to where she was in her Rider's lap before curling up and going back to sleep without so much as a grumble. Absently, Amy rested her hand on the green dragon's head. She sighed softly and said, "I know what Vanir saw, and I'm sorry. It… The fear grabs me sometimes when I least expect it. Honestly, I've gotten better. I used to be much jumpier, believe it or not." Closing her eyes, she continued quietly, "It's over and it is never going to happen again. I want to just forget it. Talking about it won't do that."

Before Eragon or Arya could protest, Oromis said, "If that is how you feel, we will leave it be." To appease the couple, he added, "However, should you want to talk, feel free to do so. No one here will judge you." Nodding at his two students and his future queen, he left the room quietly.

"You're training starts this afternoon," Eragon finally broke the tense silence. "Oromis found you teachers in swordsmanship and archery."

"Joy," she said dryly, though obviously not arguing. When it became clear she was done talking, the two left dragon and Rider together so that Amy could begin to get ready for the day. The teenage girl was obviously ashamed and emotionally exhausted from what had happened with Vanir.

That afternoon at the practice grounds, Amy stood awkwardly at the edges, Jadia poking her head out of the shoulder bag she was carried in. Out of her nightgown, she had pulled on a pair of white tights and brown boots, dressed also in a white shirt with a deep violet lady's tunic over it. Rather than leave her hair loose, she had braided it and twined the braid around her head the old-fashioned way, pinning it into place. Only her bangs fell loose from it. With no weapon of her own, she came unarmed and could practically feel people staring at her. Amy tried not to let it bother her, but she wanted to snap at them like she had snapped at Eragon when they first met.

"You must be Amy Archer, the new Rider," a feminine voice spoke up from behind her. Turning around, Amy felt her self-consciousness raise up another level. Every brunette she had ever talked to all confessed the same thing: blondes always made their self-esteem drop. Lo and behold, the person addressing her was a blonde, albeit a slightly strawberry blonde, with wide blue eyes set in classic features for her race. Her skin was tan as opposed to Amy's porcelain, and she had far more of a figure than the teenage girl.

_Please don't be my teacher, please don't be my teacher_… she mentally pleaded.

"I will be your teacher in swordplay," the female elf said despite Amy's hopes to the contrary. "Oromis says you have no experience with blades?"

"Not with anything larger than a kitchen blade," the human girl admitted with a shrug. Jadia made a noise in her throat, and Amy added, "I had to bring Jadia with me. She freaked out yesterday, apparently, and her protective instincts kicked in. Saphira promised to check in here in a few hours to make sure she was alright and to see if she wants to leave."

"The little one is welcome as long as she likes," the elf maiden said with a gentle smile at the hatchling. "Now, set her down under that tree, and we'll begin." Her tone had turned brisk the moment she addressed the Rider rather than the dragon. Amy scowled at her in response, disliking being bossed around. She stood still and crossed her arms over her chest, quirking a brow at her new teacher. "Well? What are you waiting for?" the elf in question demanded.

Amy shrugged and said coolly, "A name for you would be nice before you start bossing me around like I'm beneath you in station or something. Though, if I remember right, a Rider technically has both more ranking and yet no more political voice than anyone except for the rulers of each country."

A frown tugged at the elf's mouth, but she said calmly, "An intellect, are you? Hm. Very well. My name is Kathrina. I would tell you my House, but I have a feeling you are unfamiliar with elven heritage."

"My knowledge is limited to the current ruling House, I'll admit," the human girl said with a shrug. "Perhaps it will be one of my lessons while we wait for Jadia to grow up a little." She knew mentioning that Jadia hatched for her was a hard blow to this elf, seeing as Kathrina looked to be the age that the eggs were offered to the elves. Her being female as well only added to the burn. Rather than risk one of their tempers exploding, she turned and set her bag under the tree, Jadia chirping at her encouragingly. When she turned around, she found that the elf had brought forth a pair of swords.

The two swords were complete opposites. One was obviously heavier than the other, the blade pure steel even as the hilt was gilded in gold, a ruby set in the center as brown leather wove over the handhold. Its twin was lighter, made for easier movement. There was no gilding, leaving the blade almost silver-looking in appearance. Much like the other, brown leather formed the handhold and a stone was set in the center, this one a gleaming emerald. While Amy was taking this in, she saw that Kathrina had her left hand loosely wrapped around the hilt of the gold sword, even as her other hand was wrapped around the dull base of the silver blade.

"Why do I have a feeling this is going to end with me covered in bruises?" she grumbled in annoyance, though she took the silver sword's hilt as Kathrina handed it to her. Backing away from her teacher, Amy watched the blonde woman swing her sword around as she prepared to… do something. The human girl had very, very limited experience in swordplay, and was already feeling overwhelmed. Her grip on her sword was loose as she waited to see how she would need to move. Amy saw Kathrina raise her blade and take a step inward, so she raised her sword to block the attack, though it wavered unsteadily from her lack of strength.

The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back, gasping for air.

"Too slow, Lady Rider," the elf taunted, her voice falsely sweet just like the smile on her face. Kathrina watched in obvious amusement as her student struggled back on to her feet. The teenage girl obviously had some sort of balance problem. It had been all too easy for her to knock the skinny little thing off her feet. Watching the brunette stand, she couldn't understand what the green dragon saw in her, besides her stubborn nature. Amy had picked up her sword and was watching her elf teacher again, this time her green eyes much sharper.

The training session continued on in this manner for the rest of the afternoon. Amy couldn't stay standing long, whether because of her already uneasy balance made worse by the extra weight of the blade or an attack from Kathrina. In one way, she was right. By the end of their first "training session," Amy's entire body was sore and most likely all of her limbs would have bruises in a few hours, not to mention the scrapes on her left knee and both her elbows from her falls. Only when the sun was beneath the treetops did the strawberry blonde elf finally call their time together to an end.

Standing slowly, Amy didn't comment when the other immortal looked down at her smugly. She was trying too hard not to sharpen her tongue on the other female. Most likely sensing her Rider's turbulent emotions, Jadia called out with a soothing croon. True to her word, Saphira had stopped by to check on the littlest dragon. The blue female had noticed how thoroughly Amy was getting beaten, but didn't dare comment once Amy gave her a look that could burn the largest glacier. Instead, she brought a fresh kill for Jadia, while eyeing the newborn's current physical health. Having caught Eragon checking Saphira's scales the day before and rubbing oil over the rough patches, Amy had done the same to Jadia. The silvery green scales were more prone to rough patches than Saphira's bright blue it seemed to Amy, though the girl hadn't complained. What the newest Rider didn't know was that was natural with dragons until they were a few months old and they were no longer experiencing huge growth spurts. As it was now, the older female dragon was satisfied with Jadia's health and expected to begin teaching the dracling to hunt in the next few days as her first rapid growth hit.

Now, however, Jadia was watching her Rider with loving, patient eyes as the girl limped over to the leather pack she was in. While eager to run and fly, she knew that she was too young still to be left alone, and she didn't want to be away from her chosen for very long anyway. Both dragon and Rider were physically lacking as far as strength was concerned, but had cleverness and intelligent to replace it. What her Rider lacked in balance and physical grace, she made up for in her ability to read and handle people, telling them exactly what they wanted to hear to get her way. Amy had proven that when she had acted exactly as Oromis had expected her to that morning, playing a victim trying to forget her past and move on with her life. What the little dragon wouldn't have in physical intimidation like the other dragons would be her speed and her own determination, she was sure of it. Even as Jadia was thinking, her Rider was doing the same as she picked up the leather pack and brought it over her shoulder.

Alagaesia was used to Eragon and Saphira and Murtagh and Thorn. Eragon held ties to all the races, through his adoption by the dwarves, his oath to one human queen and the fact that he was human, and his learning coming from the elves even as his wife was set to become the next queen. Amy mused the facts as she began to walk to her new quarters, set in a tree near enough to both the other Rider's elven homes. Murtagh was not trusted by any after his previous attachment to the fallen emperor, and Thorn would be the same by association. The blue pair was capable of both great magic and great physical feats, while Murtagh's magic would have been limited because of oaths she assumed he would have to swear from using dark magic, leaving him to be the almost completely physical side of their square of Riders. Oromis couldn't do either serious physical activity or magic, but he held centuries of wisdom and knowledge, many of which was lore and abilities of the Riders. He was also heavily aligned to the elves. That left her, Amy, a human girl who was at the edge of adulthood, and Jadia, a newly hatched dragon that was on the small side. Her skills mostly included strategy, and perhaps some sort of magic when it appeared, and it could be assumed that Jadia would have similar skills as her Rider. So far, neither Amy nor Jadia had any true allegiance to any race. Together, the four were ideal. They were balanced in every sense. In time, Oromis would evenly pass his knowledge to his three students and release himself from his pain left by the injuries he received long ago.

As she thought, Amy had made her way up to her room. Setting Jadia down on the bed, she laid out a nightgown and unpinned her hair. The chocolate-toned curls were relieved to be free of the pins and braid, falling in a heavy cascade down her back. She undressed and, after learning the mechanics of the odd shower, hopped into the slightly too warm water. Instantly, the pounding of the water helped ease the stressed and knotted muscles of her back. Sighing in relief, Amy took her time getting clean of the large amount of dirt her sparing with Kathrina had covered her in. The young girl hissed as she cleaned the scrapes on her abused joints, pain and bruises forming underneath and around the flesh wounds making her grit her teeth. Only when she had rubbed off at least three layers of skin, or at least it felt that way, did she come out, wrapping her hair up in a towel like a turban and another around her body.

Once her body was gingerly dried, the female Rider found her old nylon bag from when she first came here. Inside was her precious laptop, which she refused to use till she figured out a way to keep it charged, a normal notebook, a binder full of both blank and written on sheet music, multiple pens, mechanical pencils, and highlighters, a case of lead for her pencils, a pair of scissors, a roll of clear tape, an eraser, and, of course for a klutz like her, a mini first aid kit. It wasn't much: a handful of adhesive waterproof bandages in various sizes, a couple of large gauze pads, a roll of gauze, medical tape, a tube of antibiotic ointment, and a mini-bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Amy took out the peroxide first, using it to carefully disinfect the scrapes before she smeared antibiotic on it. Only when she had finished self-doctoring herself did she pull on her nightgown and comb out her hair. She knew it was rude, but she skipped dinner with the others.

That night, as she lay with Jadia snuggled close to her, Amy marveled at how her life had changed in only a couple of weeks. Briefly, she worried over what the next few months would be like.

**Wee! Review! And as a note, you really can stick that much stuff into a nylon bag/purse. I do it all the time, though I usually have a bottle of water also stored in mine. However, it has to be a good nylon bag. Both my brown and green and black and gray bags are Columbia, meaning they are waterproof, durable, and hold a whole lot of crap. Next chapter, we skip a couple of months and Murtagh finally returns! More reviews, the more Amy figuratively yells at me to write an update. I've kinda decided to focus on this story. I want to finish it before Brisingr comes out. (shrugs)**

**As a weird note, there is a poll on my profile. I would appreciate it if you all voted in it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yeah… I actually have another chapter ready. I know, don't die from shock. This one was just screaming to be written… As you can tell by the length.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Obviously. Seeing as I misspelled Chris's name in the last chapter's disclaimer. Thank the wannabe werewoman that I noticed it.**

Her body was practically screaming at her. It wasn't her limbs, though they were also complaining even after six months of training with a sword and a bow, though her success with either varied. It was a more familiar pain than that. Groaning, Amy curled up into a ball, trying to ease her suffering.

_Amy?_ The warm, soprano voice that was Jadia in the teenage girl's mind found her with ease. _Amy, what's wrong? Why do you hurt like that?_

_I'm fine… It's a human thing…_ the Rider told her dragon. Standing up once her body stopped throbbing, though she was still miserable, she found that she was right. There was a very faint stain on her nightgown, while her sheets thankfully remained untouched. Not wasting any time, she hopped into the shower and let it ease the knots that had formed in her lower back, as well as to clean up the blood in between her legs.

Jadia spoke up again in concern, _Amy, you're bleeding. How can that be normal?_

_It's part of our reproduction cycle, love. _Amy explained. It wasn't a topic of humans that Jadia had been taught yet, despite that she was now technically a fully mature female dragon. Amy wasn't exactly comfortable teaching it to her, either, but the dragon was stubbornly protective. _Human females have their own sort of eggs stored inside. Each month, on average, one egg becomes fertile. If the egg isn't fertilized by the male's sperm, the egg falls out, bringing blood and tissue along with it._

_Sounds messy._

_It is. And in my case, I'm a little odd. I only have this, what we call a period or a monthly, about every eight months. With it, I get horrible cramps, body aches that are worse in my back, and mood swings._

_Mood swings?_

_I'm even crabbier than normal._ Sensing her partner's alarm at the possibility of Amy being even crankier then her usual cantankerous self, the human added, _I already had a talk with Arya. She gave me a herbal tea recipe and cloth pads. It will sooth me, somewhat, and keep my clothes clean, so don't worry. Now, I'm going to get dressed and drink that tea._

Jadia asked as her Rider dressed in a cotton chemise, a crisp white shift, stockings, and a wool dress dyed russet red with ribbon edgings that were gold and red around the sleeves, hem, and bodice, _Should I tell Eragon we'll be late to both breakfast and your morning training with Kathrina?_

As she finished tugging on her boots, Amy began to comb out her hair as she answered, _I'll skip breakfast, seeing as I'll only lose it later. This is a bad one, if it is making me nauseous already, so I won't be eating much. And with my body aching this way, I won't be up for a beating by the blonde harpy either._

_Why does Kathrina hate you?_

The human paused in the middle of braiding her damp hair; it was a question Jadia had never directly asked, only hinted, so Amy had always avoided it. _I don't know, Jadia. Partly, I think, because you hatched for me. All of the elves are a little bitter about that. It's worse because I'm a human female. In every way that she sees that matters, I am weak._

The green dragon's snort could be heard even inside, though she was outside. _You were the one I was meant for, and I knew that. And if you are weak, what am I? I am so much smaller than Saphira-._

_You are growing every day. _Amy encouraged her closest friend, interrupting the doubting session that she was about to begin. Through her short life, Jadia had come to idolize the older female dragon to a point her self-esteem was lower than her Rider thought healthy. It wasn't only the age difference that made Jadia smaller than Saphira; Eragon had been stupid enough to point out that by six months, Saphira's back was over his head. The green dragon's back was the same ratio to her Rider, but Amy was about five foot five to Eragon's six even. Also, Jadia subtly was of a more slender, delicate looking build than the other female, a fact that both Oromis and Amy had to assure the youngest dragon was fine. The elf had explained that there were variations between dragons, even among the two genders. Jadia had accepted his explanation only slightly.

Jadia had truly grown in the past six months. She was a lovely dragon, her spikes and claws a silvery white that fit perfectly with her pale green scales. As Eragon had noted, she was of a lighter build than Saphira or the other dragons, but to make up for it she was a faster flier than any of the others, and almost freakishly flexible. Her wings' membranes were almost actually white, though the spines lacing through them matched her scales. Emerald-like eyes gleamed with mischief and happiness usually, though when she was sad or feeling low about herself they were much dimmer. In contrast, Amy had stayed relatively the same. Despite six months in the constant sunshine, her skin was maybe half a shade darker. The thick, curly brown hair had grown several more inches, though she tried to keep it trimmed. Muscles had formed on her arms and legs from her training, but she was still delicate to the eye.

Amy finished braiding her hair and wrapped it in a bun at the base of her neck, her bangs the only strands that were loose. She set a kettle over a steel bracer made for it. There was tinder set at the bottom of the bracer, and her voice was a soft sigh when she whispered, "_Brisingr_." The sparks that lit the tender was a silvery green, much like the color of her eyes and Jadia's scales. She fed the newborn flame till it would burn long enough to warm the water in the kettle. Her magic had only slightly tired her; while physically she had grown little in strength, skill, or grace, her potential in magic had revealed itself. Her level was already almost even with Eragon, Amy absorbing the ancient language like a sponge and her mental constitution proving to be much stronger than her physical one.

Nimbly, she crushed the herbs and tea leaves in a ceramic cup, now only waiting on the water. Once she had hot water, she poured it over the powder and mixed it thoroughly, creating a slightly frothy tea that reminded Amy of the green tea she knew the Japanese drank. While it cooled to a level she could drink, she went ahead and pulled on a pair of ankle-high brown boots. There were always a couple of inches of snow on the ground lately, with it being just a couple of weeks past Midwinter. Sipping her tea, she heard Jadia leave to hunt, her own stomach pains not spreading to the dragon, thankfully.

"I owe Arya a huge thank you…" the teenage girl mumbled taking another sip. Her cramps were already easing, and the nausea was fading as well. That didn't mean she was about to risk food, though. Instead, she quietly sipped her tea and read out of a book Oromis had given her full of dwarf lore. It was interesting to her, and she had been reading it whenever she had a chance. Two cups of tea later, and the green dragon returned to the ledge that connected to Amy's suite.

Standing, Amy couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. This was her favorite, and only winter, dress that she owned. It somehow made her actually look graceful for a change. Arya had noticed her passion for the dress, and had talked to the elf who was responsible for making it. The princess had been pleased that Amy enjoyed dressing like a girl for once, seeing as the human usually dressed in tunics and leggings. However, she had been dubbed the "Lady Rider" by the rumor mills, and now it was expected that when she appeared in any court that she look like an actual noblewoman. Thankfully, Arya was helping her make her wardrobe more acceptable for that kind of expectation and the newest Rider pair weren't expected to debut anywhere outside the elf capital until spring. Oromis had helped by designing a saddle that Amy could sit sidesaddle style on Jadia and still be able to function like a normal Rider. That was the saddle that Amy fastened on to her dragon.

_So why the skirt? _The dragon asked as her Rider tightened the chest straps accordingly. _You like that dress, but you still dislike wearing skirts unless you have to…_ She watched with bright eyes as her Rider pulled on a brown cape with a hood for warmth, though she left the hood down for now.

_It will keep anyone from asking anything too physical of me._ Amy explained as she picked up the leather pack that Jadia had once traveled in. She had put her pads for the day as well as an emergency change of clothing in it, hiding everything by putting the book of dwarf tales on top. With that explanation, she hopped up onto the saddle, adjusting so her skirt was flowing correctly once she was sitting. The saddle had been a challenge for Oromis, one that he had enjoyed, though he had to work a good deal with Arya, Jadia, and Amy. Much like a traditional dragon saddle, it had straps for her legs to keep her safe in the saddle. For complex maneuvers, there were also straps in the front for her arms. However, the seat had been curved on the right side so that it could help support her right leg and keep her balance. Her skirt had to be carefully tucked around her so that it wouldn't interfere with the straps keeping her place. However, Amy had practiced, and now she was a pro at getting into the saddle quickly and neatly.

Once her Rider was safely in her saddle, Jadia flapped her wings and took to the air. The two gladly moved and worked together in flight, though Amy would wince occasionally from her body's aching. While not anti-social, the pair did prefer to fly places rather than walk on the ground. Jadia disliked being the center of attention, as was guaranteed with the way the elves treated all the dragons, and Amy was less likely to trip when her feet weren't on the ground. They arrived safely at the clearing where Oromis made his home, and Amy set to work unbuckling her legs as the eldest dragon and Rider looked at the youngest.

"Good morning, Amy," Oromis greeted her warmly, "You are a little early."

"Good morning, Master Oromis, Master Glaedr," she said in return, "And it's nice to be early for a change." The two had quickly taken on a relationship similar to his with Eragon, though without the strain of there being only one Rider and limited time. That, and Amy actually respecting him and enjoying his lessons made their bond stronger than hers with Eragon, who she still treated like an annoying older sibling.

_Good morning, Amy. And how are you this morning, Jadia? _Glaedr asked the green female, turning his head from Rider to dragon.

_Confused. Just when you think you have humans figured out, they do something strange._ Jadia told him, though she didn't clarify. The murderous feelings coming from Amy should she be specific were a strong deterrent. Glaedr chuckled in his deep voice, even as Amy hopped down from her saddle and approached Oromis.

"Where is Eragon, anyway? I want to know what we are doing today…" Amy asked curiously.

_You should have stayed in your saddle. _Glaedr gave her a hint in amusement, watching the teenager's eyes light up.

"Capture the Flag?" she asked Oromis excitedly, her emotion genuine for a change. It was what she had named an activity Oromis had started with her and Eragon once Jadia mastered her wings. They each were given three flags, and they had to hide them, each given a few minutes to do so while the others looked away. The entire forest was the field they had to play this game in. Once the three Riders had hidden their flags, the game started. The point was to find the other Riders' hiding places, steal a flag, and bring it back to the clearing, all the while keeping an eye on their own hiding place to try and keep the other Riders from stealing their flags. The first to have all three colors of flag won. Amy had emerald green flags, Eragon sapphire blue flags, and Oromis gold flags. However, today the only female Rider noticed that there were ruby red flags instead of gold.

_Murtagh is either back, or due back today. _She told Jadia in amusement. _We should hurry, then, to find Eragon's so we can focus on him._

Jadia, of course, has a few questions. _Muragh's dragon is a red male, right? Is he larger or smaller than Saphira?_

_Slightly larger._

_So he won't be down in the trees with us, but in the sky with her. _Jadia sounded quite confident with her assessment, but Amy warned her that to make an assumption before meeting the other pair could be a fatal mistake. The two conferred and decided on which of their many hiding places to use as they waited for the others to appear and Amy strapped herself back into her saddle. Once they agreed with each other, she pulled out her book and began to read.

First came Eragon and Saphira. The first words out of his mouth were, "What were you thinking, missing morning practice! You will never get better at this rate!"

"Screw you," she countered without looking up from her book. At Oromis's look, she closed her book and gave Eragon a stern look. "I haven't ever missed a practice before now, despite how much I hate them, have I? So if I did, then it had to have been because of a very good reason, right? Now, either you accept that and move on, or you continue to make an ass out of yourself because you think you can boss me around."

_Have I mentioned that I love having you around?_ Saphira asked in amusement as Eragon stared at the still-mounted Rider, ignoring her Rider's slightly annoyed look in response to her comment.

"Now Riders, attention please!" Oromis demanded, though he was obviously trying not to laugh. He knew, after six months of watching the two interact, that there were no harsh feelings between the two Riders, just easy annoyance. "We do actually have lessons here today."

Eragon turned serious and said apologetically, "We are sorry for being late, Master Oromis. Brom was giving Arya trouble this morning." He glared at Amy when she snickered. The dark-haired half-elven little boy was instantly one of Amy's favorite people. As the son of the Rider who saved the world and his elven bride set to become the queen of her race, he had more attention on him then he ever really wanted, not to mention more flattery and affection than a five year-old boy needed. Amy's blunt and dry personality was a welcome change for him, and he had come to her often in the evenings, once both were through with lessons. Her teasing nature had found a kindred spirit in him, much to his parents' somewhat annoyance.

"No need to apologize because of your family," the elf assured him, then handed him the pile of blue flags, Amy's coming to her arms not long after. "Glaedr and I found Thorn and Murtagh yesterday. He should be here in a couple of hours or so, if they continue at their current speed. They aren't exactly rushing home yet. Once they are here, we will pause the exercise to allow him time to hide his flags before continuing them. The game will not end, even if you find the other's flag, until after he arrives, am I clear?"

Eragon nodded even as Amy chirped, "Crystal." The two men shared looks of both bafflement and amusement, used to her odd phrases by now. Seeing as she was already strapped into her saddle, she was the first to hide her flags. It was a good hour before she returned, looking very satisfied with her hiding place. Eragon took just as long to hide his flags. Once the two were set, Oromis reminded them that both him and Glaedr would be keeping an eye on the newest generation of Riders to insure that they all played by the rules. Quickly agreeing, the two Riders took to the sky to begin searching.

Not too far away from where they were training, Murtagh sat astride his greatest friend besides his brother, leaning back and watching the sky overhead rather than paying attention to his surroundings. His mind was closely bonded with Thorn's at the moment, leaving him able to smell and hear more than normal. He was startled as much as his dragon when an unfamiliar sent hit the more sensitive nose of the garnet scaled male.

In his mind, Thorn had categorized everyone, including the other dragons. All held the scent of the fire in their bellies, and of a clean scent, like rainfall. There was also a unique element to each dragon. The first dragon he ever met, Shruikan, had the smell of disease and death to him from the forced bond he was enslaved by. Glaedr held the scent of deep forests of ancient trees and hidden plants, even as the scent of the grasslands' dry heat and strong winds clung to Saphira. He, personally, had the extra scent of the mountains' frozen air and earthy tone, according to the other two dragons.

However, this scent was that of a dragon with a scent of the sea, with its salty spray and warm sands.

_Has the other egg finally hatched? _Murtagh asked his dragon, leaning forward to pay attention.

_I don't know._ The dragon's answer was just as confused as his Rider's mind. _We should see Oromis._ In complete agreement, the two veered and headed towards the familiar clearing.

As soon as they were close enough, Oromis began to explain to Murtagh about the strange girl, Amy, and the surprising new dragon, the green female named Jadia. When the elf master explained the current exercise, the young Rider was eager for the challenge, accepting his flags and hiding them as Oromis paused the game to give him time.

_Murtagh!_ The scarlet Rider was surprised when Eragon approached him, looking annoyed, not long after he had taken to the air after hiding his flags.

_Hello, brother. Aren't we suppose to be enemies right now?_ Murtagh created his younger brother with curiousity.

The scowl on Eragon's face only deepened as he answered. _I'm asking for help. I'm not losing this game to Amy again._

_Again? How many times have you lost to her?_

It was Saphira who answered. _Every time we've played. She hasn't beat Oromis yet, but she always finds our flags while we don't have a clue where hers are._

Amused, Murtagh laughed at their predictament and asked. _Has she already captured your flag this time? _ He was surprised when they nodded. _Well then, where do we start?_

_We've searched the south and east part of the field with no luck. _Eragon told him eagerly, even as he and Saphira turned to head west. _Would you take the north part of the field? Her flags are emerald green, so you are going to have to be thorough._

Shaking his head at his younger brother's serious and determined mindset, Murtagh asked Thorn. _Does he seem particularly firm about beating a simple girl?_

_Let us make sure we actually beat her before we form a conclusion. _Was the dragon's cautionary answer.

**Yeah… This chapter really got away from me. I don't know why or how, but it did. Aren't you thrilled for another update, though? Remember, review everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I return from the black abyss that is my disappointment with Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. If Chris does this to me with Brisingr, I will cry and give up reading. Forever. Don't ask, it's a long story, just know that at four a.m. on the second of August, I was near tears. And I don't cry.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, darlings. I make this up as I go along, but I certainly don't have that hefty little publishing contract…**

Sweeping through the area Eragon has asked him to look through, Murtagh scowled slightly. He knew finding emerald green flags in a forest wasn't going to be easy, but this was ridiculous. There wasn't a sign of them anywhere, not in this region—.

_Wait._

Thorn moved even as he thought. They were close to the clearing where Oromis was waiting, too close for him to truly consider it part of the game. But what Murtagh saw made him pause and laugh. There, so close to the clearing that it was always overlooked and hidden in the trees, were three emerald green flags. He took one of them and hurried Thorn the rest of the way to Oromis's clearing. The three flags had to be in the clearing in order for the winner to be called, and you could only carry one flag at a time.

He swooped in and set the flag at the base of a tree that was where his flags went, a red flag already there. To the right of his was a blue flag where Eragon's would go. And to the left… He felt his breath catch in annoyance and disbelief. There lay an emerald green flag, a sapphire blue one, and… one of his.

Snorting in outrage, Thorn whipped around, his Rider turning with him. What they saw made them pause. The other dragon pair had barely managed to arrive before him and Thorn, and they had paused to eye them curiously. A teenage girl, dressed in a russet dress, sat astride a mature, female green dragon. Rather than the rich, emerald green Murtagh was expecting for the dragon's scales, that color was found in her eyes, her scales a curious mix of silver and green. The silver existed again in her claws and the membrane of her wings. She was more delicately built than Saphira, but with her own kind of strength. What truly had Murtagh's attentions, however, was the girl.

She was lovely, he would give her that. Her hair was chocolate brown with tints of red in the sun, and her eyes… The sharp, intelligent orbs matched her dragon's scales almost perfectly. Her posture was what one would expect of a lady, and she looked like a delicate noblewoman. He had been expecting something so different after Eragon's description…

Annoyance crossed her face and she scowled. Her dragon, Jadia if he remembered right, raised her head and shifted under her, not liking her Rider's thoughts. The scowl on the girl's face faded slightly, and whatever she thought back to her dragon made Jadia calm. Finally, Murtagh remembered her name—Amy. However, his voice was refusing to cooperate, so all he could do was stare at her like an idiot.

Finally, it seemed that even Jadia couldn't restrain the girl's temper. "Staring is rude, you know," she snapped at him, her voice slightly sharp. The vocal tone was somewhere between an alto and a soprano, rich but not deeper than was suited for her body frame.

That made his voice finally work. "I apologize, dear lady," he said smoothly. "I'm afraid I lost my wits there for a moment."

"Plural usage of 'wit'? There's a surprise…" he heard her mutter in response. It took him a moment to understand what she meant, but once he did he felt his own temper flare. Thorn shifted under him in warning, much like Jadia had done only minutes before. Before an argument could take place, Oromis appeared from the forest where he had been.

Shaking his head at seeing the pile, Oromis told Murtagh, "Congratulations. Eragon hasn't even figured out how Amy chooses to hide her flags, yet you have done so. However, perhaps you need to work on where you hide yours. Now, Amy, if you could capture Eragon's attention and bring him back here. Gently, please," he added when he saw the smirk on her face. She sighed in annoyance, but closed her eyes to focus on something.

It was a trick of his mind, he knew that, but it still took him by surprise when he began to hear music. Even Oromis seemed slightly surprised, though not as much as Murtagh was expecting. Then, he heard a sweet, rich voice begin to sing, and he felt his heart stop.

"Father's hands are lined with dirt from long days in the field. Mother's hands are serving meals at a café on Main Street. With mouths to feed, trying to keep clothing on our backs, and all I hear about is how it's so bad, it's so bad. It's too bad, it's stupid, it's too late, it's wrong, so long. It's too bad that we had no time to rewind, let's walk, let's talk. Let's talk."

Looking to Amy, he saw that it was her singing, even as he struggled to realize that she was also the source of the music. It was a hard rhythm, rough and emotional with a strong sense of musicality. Nothing Murtagh had ever heard before could compare to it, and it was obviously something the girl held dear to her heart.

"You left without saying good-bye… Although I'm sure you tried. You call the house from time to time, to make sure we're alive. But you weren't there, right when I needed you the most, and now I dream about it, and how it's so bad, it's so bad…" Murtagh puzzled over who Amy could be talking about. His guess would be a parent, but which one? Her father would be his guess. She repeated the chorus, even as overhead they could hear Eragon and Saphira returning.

"Father's hands are lined with guilt for tearing us apart. Guess it turned out in the end, just look at where we are. We made it out, we've still got clothing on our backs, and now I scream about it and how it's so bad, it's so bad, it's so bad, it's so bad…" Choked up, Amy cut the music off as Eragon and Saphira landed. She focused on unbuckling her legs from the odd saddle she was in, obviously not wanting to talk about her song. It made Murtagh examine something all three of them had in common… Every member of the newest generation of Riders had lost their mother by her leaving them.

Swinging down from their own saddles, they waited for her to join them on the ground. Murtagh was startled to find that, for all her temper, Amy was a petite, slender youth. She also startled him by being a klutz, finding something to trip over even on the even ground. Rather than talk to him again, she sat down on the ground, folding her legs to the side as her skirt formed an uneven circle around her. Only here in Oromis's clearing was the snow cleared from the ground. Occasionally, he noticed that she gave a small physical sign of being uncomfortable or in pain, but her dragon treated as no big deal, so he copied her.

While the Riders circled around, the dragons reacquainted themselves with each other. Saphira and Thorn greeted each other with the cool respect that they held for each other, and Glaedr gave his respectful greeting. It was Jadia and Thorn that was the true spectacle. The two circled each other, her ears pinned back as stiffly as her wings as he stayed completely relaxed. A low growl was brewing in her throat, making Amy frown and look over her shoulder at the female. Whenever Thorn grew too close for her comfort, Jadia would snap at him, flaring her wings.

"Amy, perhaps…" Oromis said gently, letting it trail off when she gave him a dirty look.

"Don't look at me, this is all her," Amy defended herself. "I can't really make her see reason. Fact is, I'm glad she's not cowering. You know about her… problem." When Murtagh gave her a funny look, she explained very quietly, though slowly like she would for a small child, "Jadia has self-esteem issues."

Before the Rider of the garnet dragon could respond, a snarl brought everyone's attention back to the dragons. Thorn had had enough of Jadia's snapping at him, and when she did it again, he returned the favor. His larger size helped him knock her off her feet, sending her crashing over on to her side. Even as Amy jumped to her feet, calling out, "Jadia, don't!" the green female launched herself at her must larger and more experienced opponent. The two tumbled, fangs and claws snapping and scratching at gem-toned hides as growls and snarls could be heard in deep and high tones, more from Jadia than Thorn.

It was only after Thorn had Jadia effectively pinned that the fight stopped. His fangs were locked around the base of her neck, and his body was laying over hers, his weight being what kept her from fighting him…sort of. She was still squirming and snarling at him, obviously wanting him off her so she could once again attack. Ignoring the warnings of the other Riders and their dragons, Amy walked over, taking Jadia's head into her lap. While her hands slid over the still struggling dragon's forehead and ears, she began to murmur softly, trying to calm the female. It was unclear what they talked about, but it made the female begin to calm, and she stopped struggling underneath Thorn. Once he was sure that he wouldn't be attacked again, Thorn unpinned Jadia, stepping off to the side. However, his golden eyes were watching the green female in interest, an unfamiliar bright light reflecting in them.

Jadia moved to where she wasn't being cuddled by her Rider anymore, snorting as she stood and walked to the side, not moving too close to Thorn.

"Now, will someone explain what that was about?" Eragon finally asked, looking between Amy and Murtagh as the only girl Rider stood up. His elder brother shrugged, obviously not sure either, so the two brothers looked to their teacher. Oromis, however, was looking at Amy, obviously not quite understanding either.

The female Rider was obviously avoiding the question, straightening her skirt and making sure that nothing was clinging to it. When she finally stopped, Oromis gave her a pointed look. She sighed and finally said, "Thorn was an ass."

"Excuse me?" Murtagh protested immediately. Both her language and her accusation shocked him.

"Well he was! Unintentionally so, but he still was!" she snapped back. "He called her little! And with giants like Glaedr and Saphira around her whole life, she already feels like the runt of the litter!" Sniffing in distaste, she walked over to where she had sat down, her bag still laying there. She picked it up and sat back down again, reaching in and pulling out a book and beginning to read, obviously disgruntled and choosing to ignore them.

Shaking his head, Oromis looked to Glaedr. They had a silent conversation, and the golden dragon faced the younger dragons, including the two who were obviously not thrilled with each other anymore.

"Is it just me, or are we all just incapable of harmony?" the girl suddenly said out loud. "If it isn't Eragon and I tearing at each other's throats, now it's going to be Jadia and Thorn. She still hasn't forgiven him. I'm just surprised her temper is so fierce…"

"Like Rider like dragon…" Eragon told her firmly. "If you could control your temper, hers wouldn't be so volatile."

"You just don't want to be the bunt of Saphira's and my enjoyment," she answered, her nose still in her book. Murtagh couldn't help the amusement he felt and expressed at the look on his younger brother's face. Obviously he had a lot to catch up on. He wasn't sure whose side he wanted to hear first, Eragon's or Amy's.

**I am done! Woohoo! One chapter down… I think about another ten or so to go. I make no guarantees, but that's what my gut is telling me.**

**As an odd note, we have officially tied this story with my other story that is so far my biggest success, Under a New Moon. Admittedly, it hasn't tied in reviews or views, but it has tied in Story Alerts. Who knows? Maybe this will be an even bigger hit. I can't wait to see.**

**On that note, R&R!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**New chapter again! Do I get some love for it or what? And yes, the story alerts has beaten out Under a New Moon, though at one point we actually lost one. ?? I don't get it, but meh.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, no copyright infringement intended, all that good mokus jokus...**

As things calmed down from Thorn's and Jadia's fight, and from Amy's and Eragon's most recent verbal scuffle, Oromis began to fire questions at Murtagh. The Rider had been sent to oversee a meeting between the dwarves and the Broddring Kingdom over mining rights. While not a major matter, it had exploded because of the dwarves' pride and homes being in the mountains in question. The elves, of course, had an interest because of the mountains being so close to their forests. Rather than risking an all out war between the three kingdoms, Murtagh and Thorn had gone to be a voice of neutral reason. Now, almost nine months after he had left, he returned after setting up a joint mining operation between the dwarves and the humans that was well away from the forest's edge.

"…And I have never seen such arguing before in my life," he finished his report in disgust. "It was like watching two little children fight over a toy."

"Adulthood is overrated. It is just an excuse to act like you are three again," Amy remarked from her place, still reading. Throughout his explanation, she had been reading; she was almost three-quarters through the book, despite only having had it for a couple of days. She closed it, however, to begin to contribute to the discussion. "There are baselines of human nature that cannot be rubbed out; I don't care how highborn you are. I'm sure some of these carry over to elves and dwarves. Immaturity when faced with not getting what you want is an obvious one."

"Any others, oh wise one?" Eragon asked sarcastically, annoyed with her input.

Amazingly enough, Amy stayed calm and began counting off traits on her fingers, "Pride is an easy give-in; being disrespectful won't get you what you want, and will most likely leave a bad aftertaste for the next time you deal with them. Narcissism is another; even someone with low self-esteem or even normal levels of self-respect is easily swayed by a couple of compliments, not to mention the access it gives you with egotistical morons. Family value is trickier, but present. It's safer to stick to parents or children. Both the person you are dealing with hates their parents, is indifferent, or respects them, and they will adore their offspring. Dead or alive, it won't make too much of a difference. And, of course, their outlook on society; a noble will always view the world as a brighter, happier place than a beggar. A merchant will see the bigger picture while a thief will notice the small things…"

"You have had a lot of time to form these conclusions…" Oromis noted.

She shrugged as she answered, "I play chess. Part of that is understanding how others think. If you can predict your opponent's moves before they even decide what they are, you can take steps to prevent future problems."

"Hmm," Oromis murmured in response, standing up carefully. "Well, this problem has been resolved for the time being. However, next time we need to send someone for a political crisis, I believe Amy should accompany them, provided she can keep a firm hold on her temper."

Rolling her eyes, Amy defended herself, "I only let it out here because I know you all won't be too offended by it. The giant chess game that is politics is another situation entirely." Oromis chuckled, but didn't argue with her further. Instead, he dismissed the trio, knowing that Murtagh needed to return to his quarters to unpack Thorn's saddle and to reacquaint with his brother. Jadia and Amy went on a similar path, Amy wanting to finish her book and Jadia wanting her saddle off.

Only when she was sure that Amy was thoroughly lost in her own little world did the green dragon leave their quarters, returning to the forest. It wasn't hard to find Thorn, who was waiting for her.

_It took you a while,_ he noted as she landed, folding her wings elegantly.

Jadia rolled her eyes at him. _I had to be sure that Amy wouldn't notice I was missing. It wasn't too hard. She's pretending to read again._

_Pretending?_

_Oh, she's actually reading, _Jadia assured him when he reflected his confusions, _Just at night, before she goes to bed. There's a mirror attached to the inside cover of that book. She's been scrying whenever she has the strength and the time._

Moving into her personal space, Thorn slightly spread his wings, making his presence feel even larger, as he asked her what the other Rider was scrying. He wasn't expecting for Jadia to show him.

_An old man was lying on a flat, uncomfortable bed, seemingly asleep. Odd machines were surrounding him, though he didn't understand their purpose._

_Amy called it a hospital room, a place where humans are taken when they are ill and need a healer. _Jadia explained, her mental tone soft and sympathetic. _Those machines are keeping him alive; without them, Amy thinks he would be dead._

_Who is he?  
_

_Her father._ Thorn looked at her in amazement. Jadia nodded to confirm it further. _Amy isn't from here, that's for sure. I don't understand exactly what her life was like before me, simply because it causes her pain to remember it. She hides it well, but there are deep wounds beneath that armor. As it is now, the guilt over her father being at this stage of life is tearing her apart inside. All I can hear from her at times is, "It's all my fault… I did this to him…" I've tried to tell her it would happen eventually, but then she just grows silent._

_Your Rider is far deeper than my Rider or his brother thinks. _Thorn noted, and then crowded her further. Now annoyed, Jadia side-stepped away from him, flaring her wings in warning. Something about him being that close to her made her shake on the inside and snap her fangs at him on the outside. It was both natural and unnatural at the same time, and _she did not like it._ At. All.

_I did not ask you here to talk about your Rider, or mine for that matter._ He told her, his tone almost playful as he stepped to match hers. His wings flared so they were overlapping hers, creating an interesting contrast between garnet and jade. _Rather, I am interested in you…_

_What about me?_ Jadia asked him forcefully, a low growl rumbling in her throat as she once more tried to put some distance between them.

This time, Thorn stepped close enough to her that her right wing was pinned between them, his left wing spreading over to cover her back. _Everything, dear one…_ He answered, nudging her head with his. It was so unexpected that she forgot about her wing and tried to get away from him. She ended up on stomach, his wing still covering hers as he adjusted himself over her. The garnet dragon partially lied over her, his left leg resting alongside hers as his other rested by her other, crossing slightly over her front. His wings wrapped around her so that she was almost completely under him. Taking advantage of this, he nudged her head again before beginning to run his nose along the lines of her neck, applying pressure in seemingly random spots.

_What… What are you…? _Her thoughts were muddled as she reeled from the sensations he was causing and the extra warmth of his body over hers. They only grew worse as he began to softly growl, the sound unthreatening but causing something in her to stir. She whined when he nipped the sensitive spot where her neck met her jaw, shocking herself. However, she was soon releasing a similar growl when he paid more attention to that spot, going as far as to run his tongue over it.

_Jadia! Get away from there!_

Amy's sharp thought was accented by one of her memories, the sensations there identical to the memories that Eragon and Vanir suffered through. Confused by the conflicting pain and pleasure, Jadia struggled away from a stunned Thorn. Before he could pin her again, she was in the air, flying back to the safety of her Rider's care.

Amy had been wallowing in her guilt towards her father again. He had been suffering from bouts of depression for years, every since her mother left. Only a year ago, he had taken a turn for the worse, and she had been doing everything she could to keep him from needing to be hospitalized. However, in one morning she had tossed all that out the window. Not once in these past six months had she thought of what her appearance in Alagaesia had done to her home world.

Clay, Adam, her father… What were they like without her? Clay and Adam were alright, she had seen that when she scryed them. At times, they would look saddened, but they would lift each other out of it. Her father, though… Her heart clenched thinking about it.

_Heat. It spread through her like wildfire. Confusing her, muddling her thoughts…_

"Jadia?" Amy called, lowering her book to look where her dragon had been last time she looked up. However, she wasn't there.

_Pain so closely linked with pleasure that she couldn't tell them apart. A crooning growl left her throat…_

_Jadia! Get away from there!_ Amy ordered sharply. The young dragon's feelings were stirring painful memories in her Rider, and the seeped through the bond they shared. It was all the dragon needed to pull herself out of the spell she was in and get away.

Both females were trembling when Jadia returned to Amy's side. The girl wrapped her arms around the dragon's neck, looking for some sort of stability. _Amy…_ the dragon asked, _What was I feeling? Why did it scare you so?_

_Jadia… What you were feeling was the urge to mate…_ The human told her quietly. _And it scared me because I… I was forced…_

Rearing back on her hind legs in shock, Jadia tried to learn more of what happened. However, Amy was being mulish, hiding the memories away from her dragon. The youngest dragon only knew of her Rider's life for the past year, and facts such as her mother having left her when she was six. That night, the two went to bed on bad terms, neither willing to back down.

**There you go everyone! Next chapter, we'll actually learn more about Amy's life before the last year. For now, read and review!**

**And as an odd note, if you are adding me to your favorite stories/authors list or alerting this story or me or something, go ahead and drop a review! It's odd to see Story Alert, Fav Story, Fav Author, etc. Alerts in your inbox, but there to be no review...**


	10. Chapter 10

**This is short, emotional, and informative. I have to wake up at seven tomorrow, so this AN is also going to be really short. Next chapter will be annoyingly long, both the actual content and the AN, kay?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, I don't own, I don't own. No copyright infringement intended, yada yada yada...**

"What is with you today?" Kathrina snapped angrily as she easily shoved the youngest and the only female Rider into the ground. "You're even worse than normal." From the sidelines, Jadia growled at the insult to her Rider. While the pair weren't getting along after their talk two days prior, the dragon was still protective of the girl.

"Nothing…" Amy murmured listlessly, standing up carefully and picking up the blade she had been loaned.

Kathrina rolled her eyes and said callously, "It is something, or you would not have your head in the clouds. Wake up, girl! You are an Argetlam! Such weakness cannot be allowed!"

"I know that…" the human answered, readying her sword for their next bout.

Disgusted, the elf shook her head. "No. I will not fight someone who obviously does not have the heart of a true Rider. You are too easily distracted for the role you take."

"Distracted?" Amy said in disbelief, some of her temper finally flaring. "You think I'm useless because for one day I am distracted? Here's a wake-up call for you, Kathrina!" Her harsh tone caught the female elf's attention. Kathrina smirked, prepared for Amy to be rude to her. Too angry to notice, Amy continued relentlessly, "I would like to see how focused you are, when it has been a year to the day after your identical twin sister died!" Uncaring of the shock radiating from both her teacher and her dragon, Amy stormed off, struggling with the tears pouring off her face.

The human girl was klutzy, but she was very good at hiding. The fact she wore entirely dark, chocolate brown today was helpful. She hid in the forest at the base of a tree, hiding in the undergrowth as she finally let her tears fall. Unwillingly but unable to stop herself, she began to remember her twin, her other half in so many senses and also her complete opposite.

"Amy…?" she whipped her head around, only to find that someone had found her: Murtagh. He was sitting next to her, obviously not sure how to interact with her yet. However, he did ask gently as soon as he saw her tears, "What's the matter? Are you hurt?"

"No… No, I'm not hurt… Not in any way that you can heal…" she told him, brokenly. She was holding herself, trying to keep from falling to pieces. The tears hadn't stopped, and she didn't think she could force them to stop at this point.

Hesitantly, Murtagh placed his arm over her shaking shoulders, ignoring how stiff they became in order to pull her as close to him as he dared. "Healing begins with acknowledgement…" he murmured to her. "If you talk about it…"

"I… I never talk about it… It hurts worse when I do…" she told him, though for a change she didn't pull away from the male contact.

"That's bleeding some of the poison out," he assured her. "I carried so much bitterness around with me because of my parents… And I was manipulated because of it. Now, I am able to remember my mother at least with fondness, and I no longer suffer because of my father."

It took her a few moments, but then she began to quietly talk, her words accented by the occasional memory, "I wasn't an only child… In fact, my only sibling was my nearly identical twin sister…"

_Two young girls were dressed to match in delicate white dresses, white stockings, and white shoes. Both had their curly, dark brown hair pulled into high pigtails. The differences between them were small, but noticeable. One had a powder blue sash around her waist and matching ribbons wrapped around her pigtails, her eyes an interesting mix of gray and blue, while the other had a pale, sage green sash and ribbons, her eyes a similar mix of gray and green._

"In so many ways, Lyn and I were the same, but we were also completely different. I was the older of the two of us, so I became protective and hot tempered so that she could be as she wanted, which ended up being quiet and gentle. We also had different talents. Whereas I had no grace, Lyn was an incredible dancer…"

_The view was almost center stage, in the very front of an unfamiliar and strange theater that was actually inside. On the stage, there were five dancers, four of which were dressed in green and one that was dressed in red. The eye instantly traveled to the one in red, the one that looked exactly like Amy only with blue-gray eyes. She spun on the very tip of her toes with ease, taking center stage._

"But then, Lyn met Jesse…" The hatred dripping from her voice startled Murtagh from the calm center he had found himself in as he saw brief images of her sister. He briefly found himself seeing a boy from her memories. A blonde with piercing blue eyes, he had a charming smile and was carefully put together to form an image of casual disarray. "It was love at first sight for her. She had never had a boyfriend before, and it was too easy for him to earn his way into her heart, even though he didn't deserve it. Then, one night, he got drunk. It wasn't the first time, but it was the last…"

_He was running out of a cornfield, Amy's sister right beside him. They broke through the final stalks, only to see a scene of horror. Twisted and charred pieces of metal were everywhere, fires still being put out._

"_Jesse!" he heard a slightly higher pitched voice than Amy's scream, and he found himself grabbing hold of Lyn, keeping her from racing forward. "Let me go, Amy! JESSE!" she cried out desperately._

"_Lyn, calm down! Lyn, it's too late!" Amy said through his mouth, his grip on the girl firm. When the slightly younger girl went limp, he held her close, trying to offer some comfort."_

"Lyn… She was so heartbroken. I tried to help her. Rather than work at a studio afterschool, I was home with her. Nothing seemed to work… And then…"

_He walked in through the front door, stopping to look inside a darkened room that wasn't lit at all. "I'm home, Daddy," Amy spoke through his mouth again, her voice sweet and soft. "I'm going to check on Lyn, and I'll start supper, alright?" She didn't get a response, and he had a feeling she wasn't expecting one._

_Walking upstairs, he cracked the first door open only wide enough to allow him a brief glimpse of a bedroom done in beige, brown, cream, and deep violet as he threw a bag inside before closing it again. He first walked right across the hall to open another door, this one opening to a bedroom decorated in black, gray, white, and blood red. No one was there, so he closed the door and continued down the hall where two more sets of doors paralleled each other. One he ignored and the other he approached._

_He raised the pale hand he recognized as Amy's and knocked on the wood painted white. "Lyn?" he heard her call, "Lyn, I'm home. Open up, would ya? You must have fallen asleep in the tub… Lyn? Come on, you can't stay in there forever…" This didn't feel right, to him or Amy's past self. He knocked furiously again, Amy calling her sister's name with no response. Finally, he took a couple of steps back and then charged forward, ramming the door. He repeated this a couple of times before the weak lock finally gave._

"_LYN!" Amy distantly screamed. He rushed forward to pick up the girl submerged in bloody water, checking for a pulse and finding it weak and fading fast. "DAD! DAD, CALL 911!" Amy cried, even as he heard her whisper fiercely, "Don't you dare leave me Lyn, you hear me? Don't you dare!" before shouting for her father again._

_The scene changed to being in front of a gravestone. It was engraved "Evangeline Lily Archer, Beloved Daughter and Sister, April 16, 1990—January 6, 2007."_

Murtagh found himself back in his own mind, holding a shaking Amy. Not even bothering to consider her own phobia concerning personal space, he pulled her tightly against him, whispering soothingly, "I'm sorry, little one… I'm so sorry…" She could only cry from within his arms, finally letting someone comfort her after a year of silent grief.


	11. Chapter 11

**And finally, I update. I'm so sorry it took so long, explanation as to why down at the bottom. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or added me to an alert while they were at this, you'll all be happy to know that Eyes of Jade had now tied with my story Under a New Moon in two areas, Alerts and Favorites. I hope we will blow it out of the air with all the stats, and I'm glad you all enjoy this story so much.**

**Disclaimer: If you are still under the stupid impression that I have any claim whatsoever to the Inheritance series, I am sending you to the room with padded walls.**

As her tears slowed, Amy finished her story softly, "It was only a couple of weeks after we… _buried_… her that I found my way here. Then Jadia hatched for me, and well…"

"You never had a chance to truly grieve," he realized for her. The sound of his voice being so close to her made her notice how close he was to her. Instantly, she began to struggle away in panic. "Easy, little one," he tried to sooth, wincing at the memory of pain that she thrust at him. When he caught the name Jesse, though, Murtagh felt his eyes widen. "'It wasn't the first time…'" he recalled out loud, his tone furious as he realized what Amy had meant. The boy her own twin loved had been the one who had raped the young girl over and over again, each time he drank himself to the point of stubborn stupidity. His grip only tightened on her, making her go completely still.

"Let me go," she said, her voice oddly calm.

Murtagh shook his head, making her struggles renew. However, he was stronger than her, and she was forced to stay within his grasp. "You need to realize that no one is ever going to hurt you again, Amy," he said firmly.

"And you are proving that so well, keeping me somewhere I don't want to be by force!" she snapped. However, his grip remained strong. Murtagh was one of the few who was possible more stubborn than her. He forcibly pushed her down to the ground, his extra weight and strength making her stay still. Her heart and breathing were so fast, he knew she was going into a state of panic. However, he stayed still.

It was a long moment as they lay there on the ground. Eventually, Murtagh heard her heart beat slow and soften, even as breathing and muscles relaxed. "I'm not going to hurt you, Amy," he told her softly, making sure not to crowd her anymore than he already was. "But you don't need to fear this for the rest of your life."

All he knew next was pain as the breath was actually physically knocked out of him. Rolling off of her onto his back, Murtagh gasped for breath even as he saw Amy scramble to her feet out of the corner of his eye. She backed away, still upset and now enraged. "Asshole," she hissed at him, her fury lacing her tone. Before he had gotten his breath back to reply, she hurried away, making her way through the underbrush better than he thought she could have with her klutziness.

_Are you enjoying yourself?_ Thorn's mocking question sparked his own temper.

_What is her problem? _he raged inwardly, _Why won't she accept help?_

The dragon let him stew in his anger for a moment, and then finally said mildly, _She was taking comfort from you before you forced yourself closer to her. Perhaps you should have let her have the former without pushing the latter until a later date._

As always, Murtagh rolled his eyes at the cryptic advice, but thought it over before he completely disregarded it. _You're saying I should have let her grieve about her sister and just been present and worried about her fear of being close to men later, even though she is a walking tangle of emotions and memories that could overwhelm anyone foolish enough to pick at her mind._

_She is still a young girl, _Thorn reprimanded his Rider, his disappointment in Murtagh evident, _She has never fought in a battle where many died or even dealt with magic before Jadia if Master Oromis speaks the truth. _Ignoring the human's flinch, he continued ruthlessly, _You expect her to be the same as you and Eragon, when the point is she is not. That's perhaps even why Jadia hatched for her. You and Eragon are warriors and mages, hardened from battle and strife. While she knows the world is far from perfect, she knows it on a more intimate level than either of you can relate to, even as she knows that despite wars life goes on in its pattern. Now stop trying to mold her into a female version of you!_

Murtagh felt Thorn retreat from the front of his thoughts as the unusually wordy red dragon seemed to have business somewhere else, though he didn't pick up where. Instead, he found himself filled with shame as he realized that the dragons, both Thorn and Jadia, had a point. While Murtagh knew of individual suffering, his experiences were selective and hardly normal. Both brothers, as veterans of the last war, knew of the mass suffering caused by the battlefield. Amy, with her own trauma that other women could relate to as well as the grief of losing a loved one to circumstances beyond illness or battle, rounded them out, making the Riders more accessible. On a similar track, he recalled how magic was relatively easy for her as she struggled with sword work, the exact opposite of him. Jadia had chosen to hatch for someone who could make the Riders as a whole be trusted as opposed to just one of them.

Now he felt guilty for pushing when he should have just let her heal, at least a little.

Sighing at himself in annoyance, Murtagh stood up and winced. Amy was better at fighting than she let on. It felt like a mule had kicked him rather than an otherwise delicate girl kneeing him in the gut. There was nothing worse than bruises, but it felt like it should be worse as he stood up. He took a moment to make sure he could move without flinching before he followed the girl's trail through the underbrush. He had thought she was running from her weapons lesson and would go back there to face whoever Oromis or Eragon had found for her. However, the path she took leaving curved away from the training grounds, instead heading back towards the Riders' quarters.

He was stopped from actually approaching Amy's tree by an unfamiliar mind brushing his. _Please don't go up there,_ the female tone pleaded, _She's in a horrible mood, and I don't think the others would like it if I had to explain why my Rider killed you._

Looking up, startled, Murtagh found that Jadia was lurking right along the trees on the ground level. The delicate green dragon didn't appear the least bit repentant about speaking to him without even a breath of hesitation. Instead, she purposefully blocked the staircase so it would be physically impossible for him to go up there. Fine-boned or not, he wasn't about to risk her claws and fangs. Smiling he raised his hands as a sign of surrender. Once sure he was going to leave her Rider alone, Jadia relaxed slightly.

"Is she… really that upset…?" Murtagh hesitantly asked, choosing to speak aloud.

_She won't talk to me,_ the only female dragon told him primly, making him wince. When a Rider blocked out their dragon, you knew it wasn't good. _And quit feeling guilty, you are only half the problem._

"Really…?" he asked for confirmation, not exactly convinced.

The dragon nodded, ruffling her wings in agitation. _Don't misunderstand, you were still an idiot as well as what she called you,_ she warned him, _but she was in a knot to begin with. If Oromis doesn't assign her a new weapon teacher, I make no promises about how pleasant I will be to be around._

Tilting his head to the side, Murtagh hesitantly moved closer so he could speak more quietly without being overheard, not trusting Jadia enough to speak mind-to-mind at risk of Amy reaching in. "Who is it?" he asked curiously, "I hadn't bothered to find out."

_Some elf maiden with a grudge,_ Jadia sneered, obviously not impressed, _Oromis thought that Amy would benefit from having her teacher be the same gender as her, but Kathrina is being nothing short of cruel._

_Kathrina?_ Now why could Murtagh swear he had heard that name before…?

Amy had changed out of the solid brown clothes and into everything she had worn when she arrived here except for the emerald shirt and her shoes. The familiar scent of home, smoky from her father's dirty habit of lighting cigarettes even if he didn't smoke them and of the lavender air freshener she used to try and mask them, was comforting and something she desperately needed. Everything she had been feeling for over a year now was piling up, and she really needed to calm down before she actually hurt someone…

…well, hurt someone intentionally…

…okay, hurt someone more than a few bruises. The point was, she was still an emotional wreck, though thankfully her hormones would snap back to normal soon, and that added on with everything else was just too much for her right now. Thankfully, Jadia was picking up on how turbulent her emotions were and was guarding the steps into the room. Getting up from where she had been curled up by the window in the lower rooms, Amy forced herself to climb up the elaborate steps to the study where something to preoccupy her was waiting.

It had taken her several long talks with a luthier and another talk with a maker of flutes to get two instruments that she could use. The luthier managed to produce a violin for her, using many different kinds of wood and fine steel cords and other bits that a smith had been kind enough to form. The bow had also been made from wood, with steel workings, a leather thumb cushion, silk winding, and a ribbon of hair from a stallion of the breed that the elves kept. However, Amy ignored the leather and velvet case that held her string instrument and opened the longer, narrower one instead. Inside, made of a variation of red lancewood with delicate silver keys, was a copy of an Irish flute. Her training had included both the Irish flute and concert flute, and the flute maker found her description of the Irish variety easier to copy.

It was easy to slip the three pieces together the way she needed them to. It was a welcome distraction, the cool wood pleasant against her fingertips as it warmed under her touch. Rather than keep any composition in mind, she simply began to play, the melody that arose showing how exactly how confused and upset that she felt.

Pausing in his attempt to recall where he knew the name of Kathrina, Murtagh tilted his head and closed his eyes as a sweet but haunting melody reached his ears. It wasn't from any kind of flute he knew, but the rich, reedy tone was still pleasant to the ears. It trembled on its notes, like a voice quivering with tears. There was a dark undertone, like passionate anger, as it rose and fell, over and over again. It wasn't a song he had ever heard before, and didn't seem to have a definite pattern or message to it, just a simple expression of pain and sorrow.

"That's Amy, isn't it?" he asked Jadia quietly, not surprised when she nodded her head. His heart pulled unexpectedly, hating the fact he was right. "I… I'll be right back…" Murtagh turned and walked as quickly as he could away. He knew she was hurt, but there was more to it than that. All her strange mannerisms… How far from home was she? If she was as far as he thought, she was most likely homesick, missing what family she had left deeply as well as her friends. Part of the cure needed was time, another part someone to confide in that she hopefully had in Jadia, and yet another part what she was doing now, expressing her emotions. But… Maybe she needed something more physical to help her? She wouldn't let him touch her, even if it was just a friendly hug of reassurance… He'd have to be clever.

_She's female. How clever do you have to be?_

Murtagh snorted at Thorn's rather insensitive comment. _That, my flying friend, is why you are having problems courting Jadia, and don't deny there's problems. Admittedly, half of it is her Rider but you and I both know that now that Jadia is at least a little prepared for feelings of desire she could block them from Amy. Problem is that she doesn't so she doesn't get overwhelmed by you._

The dragon was silent for a moment. _She wants comfort, yes? Something familiar, like her home, perhaps?_ he finally suggested.

_I don't know where she's from,_ Murtagh reminded his mount in frustration.

_Ask Jadia, _was Thorn's reply. When the human's reluctance was felt, the dragon pulled away. When Murtagh registered him again, he had an answer for him. _Jadia says it is a dry place, with little moisture, sandy earth, and lots of blue sky. There's a stone that's rather famous there, a blue-green one that Amy likes. Also, she says to ask someone about the meanings of flowers, perhaps send her one that means sympathy._

Murtagh turned the images that he had been sent of the landscape of Amy's home as well as of that peculiar stone around in his mind for a moment. He had an inkling of an idea now, at least…

Amy finally stopped play her flute when her hands began to cramp up. Carefully putting it away, she reached over beside it for a lotion that she always rubbed into her skin that helped with the cramps. Working it into each knotted up muscle and sore joint as she walked back down the stairs to the bedroom area. She wasn't surprised to find Jadia, having the vague feeling she was still guarding the stairway up to the rooms rather than risk her Rider killing anyone. The calm Amy felt wasn't deep, just on the surface. Being alone for a little while would let it sink in and keep her from exploding at the next person who annoyed her.

Sighing as she moved to flop down on her bed, she was stopped by something lying on it. Actually, several things. One was a simple wooden box, and the other was set right on top of it, a rose, the edges of the petals pink that faded into soft yellow that grew stronger in hue closer to the base of the petal, with a card tied to the stem with a white ribbon. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she pulled the box over to her, picking up the rose, which had the thorns cut off, and flipping the card over to read it.

_The yellow rose symbolizes sympathy and friendship, at least according to Arya. Know that you have both from me. Hopefully, what is inside this box will help you feel closer to home._

_Murtagh_

She blinked in surprise, not expecting this from him. Setting the rose to the side with a mental note to put it in a vase with water at soon, she opened the box and gasped. Inside, the lid had been painted with a landscape that easily could have come from her old home, a desert plateau at sunset. Running her fingers over the painting, she found that the surface felt exactly like a fairth Oromis had shown her, though she didn't know how that was possible. Only then did she look lower, into the black-velvet lined interior of the box and felt her wonder increase, as did a sense of suspicion. Inside was a necklace, bracelet, and pair of earrings, all matching, made of pearls and what she easily recognized as her favorite stone turquoise that had been shaped to copy the pearls. It was incredible, but at the same time way too much. Pearls couldn't be cheap, and she had no clue where he found the turquoise, much less someone with the skill to shape it.

He had been talking to Jadia, though. Only the female dragon knew Amy's favorite stone, what Arizona looked like, and that her ears weren't pierced, seeing as the earrings had been made into clips rather than hooks as they would be for someone with pierced ears.

Her suspicion was eased when she found another note tucked under the necklace. _Your formal introduction is coming up soon, I felt I should do my part to make sure that you looked like the Lady Rider, and jewelry making is a bit of a hobby of mine._

Feeling distinctly relieved, she found that the calm playing her flute had caused had grown, seeping into her core more deeply than it had before. _Maybe he isn't an asshole like I thought…_ she finally conceded, reaching over and bringing the rose up to her nose as she smiled slightly.

**Okay, so she has admitted it: Amy is just as girly as the rest of us. Honestly, how many girls out there wouldn't forgive after a thoughtful gift like that, huh? She doesn't trust Murtagh yet, but she stopped hating him. WE HAVE PROGRESS!**

**And now, my explanation as to why this took forever to get out: I enrolled in the English class from you-know-where. It wasn't that it was a bad class; it just took every second of time I had that wasn't spent on any of my other classes. I dedicated my life to that class, and I still only got a B. Life is not always fair, I've decided.**

**Anyway, for those who want to know, yes I've read Brisingr, no, I'm not going back and changing the story to make it coincide, that would annoy me too much. Little things, like Murtagh and Eragon being half-siblings, will be included, but obviously Oromis and Glaedr are still alive in this little world of mine.**

**I'm going to shoot for every other Friday updates, though I make no guarantees. I still have classes this semester, two of them in subjects I hate. I'll try though!**

**The jewelry set Murtagh made for Amy (just remove the spaces):**

**http:// jewelshop . org / images / pearls _ and _ turquoise _ necklace _ bracelet _ earring _ 0001 . jpg**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, here's the next update that I promised! ^_^ I even got it out fairly quickly! That's cause thanks to that fabulous storm of freezing rain and sleet that hit Monday, I had Monday afternoon and two days off from class.**

**Disclaimer: Inheritance isn't mine, no, nope, uh uh. Only Amy and Jadia are mine! I also don't own the songs from anime that I mention, and before anyone asks, I only picked them 'cause they sounded pretty on YouTube! I list them at the bottom.**

A few weeks passed. Thankfully, Jadia didn't have to give into her threat to harm someone simply because Oromis had Kathrina replaced with another elf, this one who worked with daggers about the length of Amy's forearms. For all her klutziness, Amy was able to work the smaller, lighter blades far more effectively than a large broad sword, and Arya was amused to point out that the sheaths for the daggers could easily be hidden on Amy's actually arms where they could double for a light armor, under dress sleeves to avoid notice. While her archery was still horrible, she was now at least able to protect herself in an emergency without her magic.

In fact, Oromis know had Amy sparring against Murtagh and Eragon both whenever any of the three were free on the same mornings. While Amy never won, she learned about how to use her blades against their larger swords and how to gain an advantage against someone much stronger than her, seeing as even Murtagh had more power in his upper body than she did.

A calm, peaceful pattern had been established between the next generation of Riders, one only broken by the occasional squabble between Eragon and Amy that never lived for long or awkward silence between Murtagh and Amy because of Jadia's most recent rejection of Thorn. For despite the male's persistence, the jade green dragon refused to even be alone in his presence anymore. Amy snickered and teased the larger being mercilessly, much to equal parts amusement and exasperation for Murtagh as he was left to sooth his dragon's crushed ego.

The night came where Amy was asked to attend the elfish court. All three Riders were nervous. While this wasn't her formal debut because she hadn't been proclaimed a full Dragon Rider yet, it was still important for Amy to make a strong impression with all the elves while not allowing herself to be drawn into their politics.

That night, Eragon and Murtagh stood beside their saddled dragons; it had already been agreed that the trio would fly into the glade where the dinner and dance was being held. Only Amy hadn't appeared yet, and Murtagh shifted anxiously. He didn't know why he was so tightly wound up, but it was making Thorn just as shifty.

_We're on our way down!_

Jadia's mind-spoken reply to the males' impatience finally came, and they looked up to see her taking off from her landing. She glided down on a thermal, making it an easier landing for the teenage girl astride her.

For astride her she was. Amy had annexed the idea of wearing a full skirt to an event where she would most likely be unable to avoid dancing, declaring that she would get her feet tangled up in her own hem in seconds. Instead, she had pleaded to talk to a seamstress on her own and arrange for her clothes, with Arya's hesitant approval. What she had come up with was an even mix of fashion from where she was from and elfish clothing. A high collar covered her throat and collar entirely, with silver clasps, what she called "frogs," holding it closed slightly on the right side of her neck. The bodice was fitted to her body, the slightly-above-knee-length skirt flaring out at her hips and kept falling away from her body more stiffly by several larges of starched, lace-edged, white petticoats that peeked out from the sides where two mild slits ran to mid-thigh. Sleeves kept close to her flesh till they reached her elbow, where they flared identically to her skirt, including several layers of white fabric also edged in lace, a slit running up to her elbow in each sleeve revealing the under layers. The dress was made of dark teal velvet, with silver piping lining the collar and the flap of the bodice that crossed just over her collarbone and matching embroidery along the sleeves and skirt hems depicting butterflies with curly ques. White leggings covered her legs until they reached the heather gray boots that came only an inch or two short of her knees, with only about an inch of extra heel. Faint shadows made her jade-like eyes gleam even brighter in her pale face that glowed in the moon, her mouth painted a pale pink to accent the rather sweet appearance. Her dark hair had been left to fall in almost wild curls, only kept out of her face by a simple silver hairpin shaped like a butterfly on the opposite side that she parted her hair on.

What caught Murtagh's attention was what was hanging from her ears: the delicate, freshwater pearl and turquoise bead earrings that he had made her. A closer look at her wrists showed that she also had on the bracelet, and he suspected only the high collar of her dress kept her from wearing all three of his gifts. He felt unexpectedly pleased that she valued the simple presents, and he realized unexpectedly that her outfit's blue tones were a refreshing change from the forest and sage green and lilac and plum violet colors that she was typically found in, even as they continued to compliment her coloring as well as Jadia's.

Only when Eragon laughed did Murtagh tear his gaze away from her to look at his younger brother curiously. The fairer brother grinned wickedly and teased, "See something that you like, older brother?" When Murtagh could only look at him baffled, he continued, "You gaze at Amy like the moon herself was coming to join us."

A blush crossed his face and the Rider of the red dragon protested, "Eragon! Please! She's our comrade! I was just thinking how… how odd her design choice was!"

"If you claim so," the younger of Selena's sons shrugged and smirked as he said, "But on that subject, I find her odd choices worked in her favor in case things turn ugly. That skirt is loose enough it won't limit her movements but short enough it wouldn't be cumbersome, even as those wide sleeves made it possible for her to hide her daggers on her arms and make it easy for her to reach them in a bind." Murtagh flushed even darker as he realized he hadn't even considered the practicality of her outfit, only how it made her look attractive. Eragon seemed to realize this as well because he started to snicker, as did Saphira.

Jadia and Amy both blinked as they landed next to their fellows. "Am I missing something?" Amy asked with a tilt of her head. She had a black leather case tucked under her arm of a style that neither brother was familiar with. When they asked, she shrugged and said, "Arya said if I played any instruments to bring one with me. She didn't say why." Eragon's wife had taken Amy under her wing to prepare her for this night, knowing the girl needed more knowledge than she had gleaned from the mysterious book that still baffled Oromis. "I grabbed my violin, I need the practice anyway."

The two brothers shared a look before shrugging and mounting. None of the three had strapped their legs into the saddles, trusting their dragons to keep their flight uneventful. Saphira and Jadia playfully raced for a while, though they stopped as they got closer to the clearing. The boys landed first by shared consensus, with Jadia hovering in the air for several wing beats before tilting down and following them. The elves had left a large area clear for the three dragons, as well as made the glade open enough that the three larger partners could move through just as easily as the two-legged ones.

With Saphira and Thorn framing her, Jadia stood out with the moonlight washing over her silvery green scales, just as Amy stood apart from Eragon's crimson tunic and Murtagh's black. She hesitantly dismounted and walked forward to stand in the middle of the trio of Riders. Both men visibly wore their weapons, Murtagh having Zar'roc at his side even as Eragon had Brisingr at his. Amy had been amused at Eragon's new weapon, and heard of another elf blade hiding with a family if she ever wanted it. She politely declined, knowing that she would never be a swordswoman. It was best, in her mind, that the blade remained where it was for the next green dragon rider, who would hopefully be an elf and able to use the crazy thing.

As it was now, she tried not to play with her sleeves as some of the elf ladies tittered about her clothes. _Oh no, I couldn't just wear one of the dresses Arya has forced on me, _she mentally scolded herself, heavy on the sarcasm, _I just _had_ to design something that was easier to move in that made me more comfortable like I was back home. Never mind that here I'm wearing a practically indecently short skirt so I-don't-even-want-to-know-what is running through male and female minds alike—_

_If you don't quit freaking out, I'm going to bite you. _Jadia's amused but totally serious warning restored Amy's calm. _For heaven's sake, Amy, you talk to half these people every day in the market anyway. Breathe, child. They aren't the ones threatening to bite you, I am._

Amy mentally swore in a way that would make a sailor flush with modesty when she saw both men's mouths twitch. Jadia had been letting them into their conversation—_again. I am so kicking your ass for this later, _she seethed at all three of them. The elves watching the interaction between the six were startled when all of them but the young girl started laughing while she stamped her foot, looking furious as she rested her hands on her hips in scolding rage, though an odd case was still tucked under one arm. If she weren't so cute, it would a frightening sight. As it was, it just caused most of the elves to join in on the laughter.

Finally, the party started and attention was thankfully diverted from Amy before she freaked herself out into a nasty state of hysteria. The dragons intermingled with elves quite easily, though Jadia and Thorn kept constant eyes on each other and when the male grew too close the female moved on to a different group, much to everyone's laughter. Eventually, the elves brought out their own instruments and the dancing began, though Amy kept to the corners and managed to avoid being dragged out, unlike Eragon who Arya insisted on dancing with and Murtagh who was cycling through all the available females.

Finally, the princess of the elves called over the crowd as the musicians stopped for a moment, "Amy! Didn't you bring something to play?" When the startled girl could only nod, the elf lady laughed and said, "Well, play something then! We could all use the breather. Play something more serious for us."

It was a relief for Amy, who wrote so much dour music. Opening her case with nervous hands, she heard the murmurs begin _again_ as she pulled out her violin, resting it under her chin and on her shoulder perfectly, the bow loosely gripping in her other hand as she settled her fingers over the strings. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a song out of her mental box of sheet music and rested her bow over the strings before beginning to glide horsehair over steel cords.

A person could hear every elf and Riders' breath pause as high notes crooned through the meadow, growing in passion and intensity before drawling to silence, only to rise again, this time much slower but with such sorrow and pain that it pierced even the coldest hearts, rising to a peak and staying for so long that everyone felt their hearts ache, before it finally faded once more into silence. Everyone stayed still as the human girl lowered her bow to let them recover, and shifted under many eyeing her with what she recognized as adoration. Before anyone could approach her, the bow raised again. The second song was of a slightly faster tempo though the notes lasted equally as long as the first. Rather than completely sorrowful, it was sweet and sad, but also so very lonely. Twice the song faded into silence, which only made the loneliness more apparent.

Finally, she lowered her bow as well as the instrument and politely bowed. Stirred from their stupor, the audience clapped eagerly, and a male elf hurried forward to ask, "What songs were those, Lady Rider?"

She hesitated shyly before answering soft enough that they only heard because they were elves, "The first was called 'Never Meant to Belong,' and it's from a collection I composed last year. The last a classmate of mine wrote purely for piano, her words not mine, and I took it for a challenge and created a violin version just to spite her, and it's called 'Kyoudai.'" She was rambling a little, showing her nerves. As if sensing this, the male elf smiled back politely and let her put her violin and bow back into their case as he stepped away. The other musicians, having rested their fingers, picked up lutes, gitterns, and pipes and began their own music again, of a far more light-hearted variety than Amy's playing. She breathed a sigh of relief that it had gone well, but before she could completely relax, she found herself being tugged into the twirling mass of dancers.

It took several panicked moments to realize that Murtagh was the one tugging her into the mayhem. "I've danced with every other maiden here, it wouldn't be fair for you to ignore me," he teased.

"Murtagh, really, that's perfectly alright, I was happy not having to do this," she protested even as she struggled to follow the steps of the fast dance.

"Relax, Amy." His hand was warm and dry in her own, his other safely between her shoulder blades and unmoving. He continued to speak gently to her, "Let me lead, I know the steps. Just follow with me."

"If I send us both tumbling to the ground, you are first on my list to throw around the training field," she muttered, but did as he asked and let him direct her movements. It made it easier for her to keep up with the rapid beat, as well as making the entire experience more enjoyable. She found herself laughing freely as he twirled her in and out of the female elves that were having fun with their own partners.

_She felt normal again._

There were no worries of remembered pain as Murtagh was careful to stay at the closest she was comfortable with rather than pushing her boundaries again and he made sure to keep her away from any other partners who even considered cutting in. Even when she stumbled, which was inevitable, he would steady both of them and keep them going through the steps with a laugh. Her feet tangled up with each other at one point, and before she even hit the ground, he had his arms around her waist to keep her from hitting the ground. Before she could panic, he had her on her feet and his hands back in one of her own and between her shoulder blades. She hesitated herself only for a moment before raising her hand that wasn't captured in his to rest it on his shoulder and continue the current dance.

Only when Amy begged that she was parched did Murtagh finally lead her away from the circle that had been made into make-shift dance floor and over to the tables where he helped himself to a mug of ale while she kept to the sweet water. They were chatting—okay, more like arguing—about the benefits of a lighter dragon saddle as opposed to a formal saddle and how it depended on the size of the dragon in question when a couple of elves clustered around, one of them a male that Murtagh knew was well known for wooing maidens into his bed for a single night only.

"Lady Rider, the music you played was incredible, though so sad," the elf in question said. Murtagh finally remembered that his name was Perrin. "Perhaps it is because you are hiding behind your title instead of your given name?"

Frowning at his hint that she didn't want to reveal her name, Amy shrugged carelessly and replied as if she didn't wonder at all, "Oh, I wrote that music before I even left home, so that couldn't be the case. Besides, the title is not one I would have chosen for myself. I am far from lady-like and I have no noble rank to speak of."

"But your name, my lady? I hear the others call you Amy, but that is surely just a nickname."

Here, Amy's frown became quite serious. "My mother and father named my sister and me after rather trivial subject matter. My full name is my mother's favorite literature character and my father's favorite flower, while my sister's name was my father's character and my mother's flower. I feel that such names have no relevancy on me or my sister but rather on my parents, which is entirely unfair and impractical in a world where I must be taken for _my _value, not theirs." She paused and swirled the water in her cup with a frown, as she recalled out loud, "Lyn was absolutely furious with her name, though purely because of the irony of it. Her middle name was Lily, but she was allergic to them." It didn't hurt her to discuss her twin right now, Murtagh noted. Perhaps it was easier when the date of her death wasn't so close, or perhaps she had healed at least a little from their talk in the woods, though it hadn't ended well.

Murtagh had to give Perrin credit; he wasn't giving up, "But your name, my lady?"

Finally, Amy sighed and said, "I am Amalthia Rose Archer, daughter of Carolyn Anne-Marie Bishops and Jonathon William Archer, sister to Evangeline Lily Archer, Dragon Rider of Jadia, student of Oromis Chetowä, and currently the only Rider without a famous blade which suites me perfectly well, thank you very much. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

Perrin grinned at her and took one of her hands, bowing over it and kissing it gently before she was able to do more than stiffen up. "Your name is lovely, and you are as beautiful as the flower that your father named you for," he praised, "I only wonder if those lips are as soft as those petals."

Only Murtagh's hand on her shoulder kept Amy from doing more than jerking her hand out of his grasp. "I'm leaving before I give into my impulses to slap some sense into you," she told him tartly, "Flattery gets you nowhere, master elf, and I suggest you try actually learning something about a female before you decide to try and woo her or whatever you were going to do with me. Now, excuse me, I'm finding Jadia." She pivoted on her boot heel, leaving behind a stunned elf and a human Rider who was doing everything he could not to laugh.

Jadia looked down at her Rider in amusement when she appeared, violin case tucked under her arm once more. _I'm taking it that you are ready to go now, dear heart?_ the dragon said pleasantly.

_I was ready to go when Murtagh dragged me out on to that dance floor, _rider told dragon. Amy was quick to make her good nights, wanting out of there before Perrin recovered from her rather straight-forward dismissal. Everyone was happy that she had come that night, and many wished lessons on the violin once she had some free time. Only when Jadia snorted did the elves remember that Amy was trying to leave, and let the girl mount up. Without waiting for another pair of Riders to join them, the youngest of the Rider/dragon pairs were off for their current home.

_Protest however much you like, you had fun tonight,_ Jadia told her rider conversationally, _Especially with Murtagh._

Amy shrugged, knowing Jadia would sense the gesture. _He was kind. I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid dancing, but it was nice to have a partner who respected my boundaries like Murtagh did tonight._ As they landed on the platform off of the tree, Amy hurriedly dismounted and began to unbuckle the saddle so Jadia could go to bed as well.

_There's more to it than that Amy._

Startled by Jadia's comment, the brunette looked up from her work to look into dark green eyes in bafflement. _What more is there? He was kind, he respected me, he made sure I felt safe, I had fun with him…_ Her own mental words trailed off as she realized exactly what she was saying. Her hands shook and the bafflement in her eyes turned to fear. _Jadia, no, don't even joke-_

_You've fallen in love._ The dragon's confident analysis of Amy's emotions only unsettled her further.

Moving the saddle to its rack, Amy collapsed on her bed quickly. She didn't even pull off her boots; she simply curled up on her side, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them as she hid her face under the curls. _I can't… I can't be in love… Oh God… When did this happen…? What am I going to do…? _Jadia offered her Rider what comfort she could, but the green dragon knew it was going to be a long night for the teenage girl who feared falling in love more than she feared death.

**Long chapter, but that's because PERRIN WASN'T SUPPOSE TO BE IN IT! I had no plans for Perrin, none, which can be shown by his rather odd name because it is actually a character I use in my LOTR stories for Legolas's best guy friend.**

**Side notes: Amy's violin solos can be found by those song titles on YouTube, and they are from the anime Bleach (Never Meant to Belong) and Full Metal Alchemist (Kyoudai). I listened to Ben Chan's versions, but that was my choice, do what you will.**

**Side notes 2: Amy's name comes from Peter S. Beagle's ****The Last Unicorn**** and ****Two Hearts**** while Lyn's name comes from ****Uncle Tom's Cabin**** by Harriet Beecher Stowe. At least, that's how their parents found them, for those who were curious.**

**I have created an album on PhotoBucket especially for this story! There are visual references for this chapter as well as last chapter's jewelry there, and I will continue to update it when I find the need. Like with the last link, remember to remove the spaces!**

**http:// s287. photobucket. com/ albums/ ll152/ EvaEmaria/ Jade%20 Eyes%20 Designs/**

**You are warned right now, my art skills are minimal at best. Plus my computer shows all colors with a heavier blue tone, which means on other computers and once printed the drawings have a yellowy cast to them, so I tried to use colors I had printed out and/or knew for sure matched what I wanted.**

**For those keeping up, this story has about 3,000 less views than ****Under a New Moon**** and about twenty less reviews. However, it has made double the favorites and alerts! Woot!**

**Review, please!**


	13. Chapter 13

**For those of you who don't know… I LISTEN TO EMO MUSIC! That's right, I listen to tear-worthy, pain-ridden, usually slow paced or else really angry-sounding emo music. However, this chapter has been in my head for ages, I knew what I wanted to happen. Problem? I had to find a happy song. (gonk) Do you know what I had to listen to? DO YOU? Brittany Spears! Jessica Simpson! Backstreet Boys!**

…

**Okay, so I listen to the emo songs the last one have anyway. Not my point! I sacrificed for this chapter…**

**I also sat on it for a week. I had it finished last Friday, only a couple of hours after I updated the first time. You all are fabulous, but I like being ahead, so I know you won't shoot me when I have to delay because I had writer's block. That being said, WEEEEE!!!!!! Lots and lots of reviews/hits! You all make me so happy… Please keep it up!**

**Disclaimer: Despite NightSkyForLife's fabulous claim that caused my suite mate next door to run and check that I wasn't choking to death(I was taking a drink when I read the e-mail alert), I don't own a thing other than Amy and Jadia. However, I am possibly the last person to find out that the third dragon egg really is green! SQUEEE!**

"You are cranky today."

Amy twitched at Eragon's observation from where she sat cross-legged in Oromis's glade, a week after the dinner and dance. "Excuse me…?" she said, her voice soft and dangerous.

"You heard me. You are more irritable than normal." Without waiting for a response, he sat down in a mirror posture of her across from her, leaning forward more than she was since she had her laptop balanced on a lap table in front of her. He narrowed his eyes at her and said, "What's more, Jadia won't tell me what has you so cranky, nor will Saphira, and I know they know. So out with it. What are you so up in arms about?"

"You are a conceited asshole," she said flippantly as a reply, turning her attention back to what she was doing. Her very expensive headphones weren't even completely over her ears, just the right one was with the left pressed against her neck. If one glanced at her computer's screen, they would see bars of music floating by and hear it very muffled coming from her headset. It had taken some very, _very_ carefully worded magic to put a spell of preservation on all of Amy's musical equipment that was irreplaceable in this world, and another equally carefully worded piece of magic to find a way for the battery of her laptop to absorb energy. Now she was able to work when she had free time…

…which Eragon seemed to determine not to give her. "You tell me that every day," he reminded her casually, "Now what are you really upset about?"

Blowing her current breath out so her lips made the frustrated, horsey noise, Amy finally gave up and said, "I have musician's block, okay? It's about to drive me insane."

"Musician's block?"

"It's kinda like writer's block… Actually, right now it is exactly like writer's block." Amy glared at her laptop and hit a few keys, making the song start over again. "I have the instruments and the melody. I just have no words. Everything I come up with is all… melancholy, I guess is the best word…but my melody is bright and happy. It's for the big festival coming up, too, so I really want to get it right," she explained with a forlorn sigh.

"You know, Oromis is getting horribly annoyed with you being distracted," Eragon said casually as he watched her type, only to pause, shake her head, and hit another key several times and return to glaring at the screen. "You were completely zoning out during his lecture about dwarf history."

"Uh huh…" was her unintelligent mumble; he could tell she was hidden in her own thoughts at the moment.

Taking a chance that she wasn't paying attention, he added, "You and Murtagh both have been acting odd. One minute you are all calm and quiet, then you are bouncing off the walls and frustrated." As if on cue, her head snapped up, and he was amused to see that her jaw had dropped. "You're catching flies," he joked partially. In reality, they had been acting weird around each other, Amy more than his half-brother.

She clenched her jaw shut and glowered at him. "I don't know what you are insinuating, and I don't know to know," she hissed at him, and then her eyes brightened up for a moment. Eragon could almost see Amy think. Before he could comment, she was furiously typing. She paused and restarted her song again, obviously playing with wording and notes, melody and harmonies. He was dismayed to see her frowning again.

"I hate my muse…" she finally muttered, sighing as she stopped typing.

Eragon tilted his head and said, "I'm taking it your musician's block is gone?"

"Yep." She was still scowling at her laptop. When he cleared his throat and made a motion with his hand, she said absently, "Oh, it's finished now, but the problem is that my muse made it a duet between a guy and a girl. I don't do duets, and I certainly don't have a partner…Can you even do a duet at this festival?"

"I believe so…" Eragon said with a shrug, "You'd have to ask Oromis. And why not ask Murtagh to be your partner? He's a bit frazzled trying to figure out what to do, considering you have to turn in a piece of music or a poem that could potentially become a song." He saw her stiffen and quirked a brow. "Amy… Murtagh hasn't hurt you or anything, has he?"

"What? No!" she instantly cried out harshly, looking at him with flashing eyes, a sign Eragon recognized as her being at her peak of temper. He held up his hands as a sign of surrender. She eyed him for another long moment that felt like a century to Eragon before she turned her attention back to her laptop. He stood up and left then, not wanting to be at the end of her temper again. However, he couldn't help but wonder when Amy had started rushing to Murtagh's defense, and he still didn't think that her being stuck on a song was why she was so cranky, not with the way she reacted to Murtagh's name. Saphira was laughing at him, which didn't make him feel any better.

He didn't think about what had happened in the meadow for over a month, too distracted by watching Amy and Murtagh dance around each other, especially in weapons practice. It was obvious Murtagh was trying to stay on Amy's good side, even as it became clear that Amy wouldn't attack Murtagh like she would his little brother, verbally or physically. It was like a strange game of fox and hare; the fox didn't want to startle the hare away, while the hare didn't want to run away and have the fox give chase. Oromis just shook his head and scolded both of them for their inattention. It was like neither of them was capable of concentrating.

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, Eragon tried to figure out what was wrong with his half-brother and the young girl he had come to think of as his sister. Beside him, Arya touched his arm in a silent inquiry. He smiled at her reassuringly, a silent answer that he was alright. Before they could do much more, Brom darted out from in front of them shrieking, "Uncle Murt, Uncle Murt!" Both elf and Rider chuckled at their son's refusal to try and learn his uncle's name correctly.

Murtagh never seemed to mind. Even now, he bent down and picked up Brom, tossing him briefly in the air and spinning them both around before he held him in his arms like he was still a toddler rather than six going on seven. "Well, look what I caught," he mused out loud, plenty loud enough for the boy's parents to hear. "I think it's a delicate little princeling."

"I am not!" Brom instantly protested. Poor boy had inherited both parents' fair features, and he stubbornly tried to be as rough and tumble as possible to spite it. Even now, Arya had to be careful to dress him in earth-toned garments that wouldn't show all but the worst dirt, and even those were rumbled and wrinkled by the end of the day.

Arya laughed as she approached and smoothed her son's dark hair from where the wind had caused it to stick straight up. "Well, you are a prince," she reminded him in amusement, before having to take a second, startled look at Murtagh. For as long as anyone could remember, the man had dressed entirely in black, almost as if in mourning of all the lives lost in the war, including the kings he had slain. However, today his shirt was a dark gray that could never be mistaken for a washed-out black, the tunic over it a dark teal only a few shades darker than Amy's gown from over a month prior. Only his leggings, boots, and belt had remained his customary brown. Even Zar'roc's crimson sheath was nowhere to be seen. Admittedly, she almost had to hide Brisingr from Eragon to keep him from wearing it, but Murtagh was another matter and she never even tried to suggest that he leave Zar'roc in his room. For him to be without it…

"Arya, you look like I have changed to match Blödhgarm," Murtagh gently reminded her she was staring as he set Brom back down. The little half-elf boy tugged at his mother's hand, finally letting her shake her head and pull herself out of her stupor.

"I'm sorry, Murtagh, you appearance just… startled me," she told him, with a sincere smile. Ever since the end of the war, Arya had mellowed and been able to find joy again. Brom's birth had released a maternal calm to her that was far more eased than the one she had forced herself into long ago. It left her able to smile and laugh more, though a part of her always seemed guarded.

Her brother-in-law ruefully smiled in understanding. Murtagh knew that his clothes were going to earn him many reactions like Arya's. Before he could continue their conversation, they heard Amy's familiar voice shout from behind them, "Hey!" even as Eragon joined them.

When Arya and Eragon saw Amy's outfit, they shared looks of equal bafflement as they took another glance from Murtagh to Amy again.

Ever since the dinner and dance, Amy had stuck to leggings and tunics again, not even going near a dress. However, here she was today in another one that she had to have had a hand in designing. The material was floating and rippled every time she moved, though the bodice clung to her fairly well. Three different colored layers of fabric were accented by the other layers peaking out, the hem of the skirt that reached a couple of inches above her knee equally as fluttery as the piece skimming her collar. Perhaps because it was summer and the air was warm, her sleeves were only a few inches long, leaving her pale arms exposed for the first time since winter, even as the collar left her collarbone and neck exposed for a change. The jewelry Murtagh had made her of silver, freshwater pearls, and an odd blue-green stone hung from ears, neck, and wrist alike, matching the white, pale blue-green, and blue green of her dress's layers perfectly. White leggings and the familiar heather gray formal boots covered her legs and feet, so she was still decently covered, but at the same time there was something very whimsical about her. Perhaps it was the way her hair was pulled to the right side of her neck so it draped over that shoulder in barely tamed curls, a pair of flower barrettes helping the sides stay tame, or even the way she had left her make-up light and effortless-looking, though a sharp eye could pick out the shades over her eyes and on her cheeks and the gloss on her lips.

"You planned to match," Eragon accused them mildly. He really couldn't complain; he was in his formal crimson tunic that matched Arya's wine dress subtly.

Amy blinked and furrowed her brow before noticing Murtagh. Her jaw dropped in mild outrage, and she fisted her hands on her hips as she stood, legs akimbo, in front of him. "Why did you have to choose today to avert from normal?" she scolded, "Now everyone's going to think we did this on purpose."

Murtagh held up one hand defensively even as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Eragon thought to Saphira as she appeared with the other two dragons, _She must have ignored me and not sought Murtagh out to do the duet._

_Really? What makes you say so?_

Eragon faltered, not sure how he had drawn that conclusion, but still fairly sure he was right. He noted that Amy had her bag that she stored her "laptop" in over her shoulder, so he knew she was playing something off of it, but he wasn't sure what. He pondered over Saphira's question as they joined in with the other elves, laughing and dancing to the music others created or listening to poetry being recited. It wasn't as overwhelming as the Blood Oath Ceremony had been, nor was it supposed to be. Instead, this was just a happy gathering, celebrating life. He could understand why Amy didn't want to use her normal kind of music for this setting.

He also could understand why she waited to have her turn to present her song. If she lost herself to that inner well of sorrow that she held, no one would notice now as the wine continued to flow and more elves became light-spirited and more forgiving. Finally, though, she couldn't protest to the small group of followers her violin solos had earned her. Sighing, she set her case down near an empty log that performers were using to sit their drinks on when it was their turn. One elf who had remained sober to keep an eye out for those who would make a liquor more powerful than the drinker wanted while they performed promised no one would touch her bag or machine except for her. She smiled and thanked him before pulling out her laptop and beginning to click away. A few of her followers shifted impatiently, and were relieved when she walked away from her laptop, setting something in her ear as she walked back to the log she had been sitting on beside Murtagh.

Come to think of it, Murtagh looked very amused about something, Eragon noted. It was only when Amy said, "Play," that he realized that a device similar to the one in her ear was also in Murtagh's.

Before he could analyze it further, the laptop whirled to life. "Up…up…up…upside down." The harmony of slightly distorted voices was both male and female, and it was followed by an odd instrument scaling up as a distorted male voice repeated, "Upside down." The group came back to repeat the two words, but this time a beat finally emerged as it wound down.

"_My grades are down from A's to D's. I'm way behind in History,_" Amy's sweet voice filled the clearing, and everyone turned to look at her. She was sitting beside Murtagh still, bumping her shoulder against his as she looked at him coyly beneath her eyelashes, surprising those who knew her. Unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand as she stood up, facing him with their arms outstretched, held together only by her grip on his wrist. "_I've lost myself in fantasies_," she crooned as she pulled him up with little resistance from him, holding their joined arms up so that everyone could see her fingers slowly entwining with his, "_of you and me together._"

Before Murtagh could do more than smile, Amy had pulled away and began to do an odd step that involved her rocking her weight back and forth, which only made her skirt swish gracefully with the movement. "_I don't know why, but dreaming's all I do_," she mused. Murtagh obviously didn't have the patience to wait for her to return, for he immediately caught up with her, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders, making her stop. "_I won't get by on mere imagination_," she warned, pulling away to turn around and face him with a pout.

The pout didn't last long as he forced her to spin around like a top. She laughed and continued to sing, "_Upside down, bouncing off the ceiling; inside out, stranger to this feeling. Got no clue, what I should do, but I'll go crazy if I can't get next to you_…" He had been guiding her in a simple enough dance, one that didn't move either of them much. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was keeping her suitably distracted from delving too deeply into her emotions even as it entertained the crowd. However, now she forced herself to walk to the opposite side of the circle of watchers that had formed. "_To you_…" she trailed off again.

With a sly smile, Murtagh began shifting his weight from side to side to match Amy's as she kept moving as if she were going to dart to one side. "_My teacher says to concentrate. So what? His name, something the Great," _Murtagh seemed to tease her with his lyrics, his own mellow voice complimenting hers in a way that made everyone pay more attention to them as a couple rather than as individuals working together.

As if on cue, Amy finally darted to the side, only to freeze when Murtagh followed her. "_The kings and queens will have to wait, 'cause I don't have forever,_" she answered him with a soft, laughing trill to her notes as she backed up to where she was. However, he didn't let her just retreat, instead charging forward though she tried to dart away. "_I wish that I could walk right up to you_," she continued breathlessly, only stopping her rapid steps when he had her firmly in his arms, though he kept his hands right between her shoulder blades. Almost hesitantly, she raised her own hands and traced his jaw line as she finished the inter-chorus, "_Each time I try, the same old hesitation._"

Murtagh lowered his hands to her hips and lifted her up, spinning her around like he had Brom earlier for the first couple of lines of the chorus, this time joining his voice with hers. Once he set her down, they repeated the same, simple dance they had done before. _Do they realize how much in love they look?_Eragon wondered.

_A better question would be if they realize how much in love they_ are_,_Saphira corrected him mildly. Before he could begin to interrogate her, he noticed the music had drastically slowed down when Amy trailed off with the last few words of the chorus.

The pair of Riders was standing with their hand twined together in the air, foreheads pressed together. Amy had all her weight on one foot, the other bent forward slightly, making her look like a young maiden anticipating her first kiss. "_Somehow, some day, you will love me too,_" she breathed out, her eyes half-closed even as Murtagh's expression mirrored hers, though her smile was shy while his was almost smug. _"One day will be the day when all my dreams come true_," she finished as they shifted to where her arms were around his neck, his hands on her waist.

Before anyone could coo at the loving image, Murtagh's hands twitched. The music sped back up even as Amy shrieked in laughter and tried to squirm away from the larger and stronger man. He kept her in his hold, tickling her again and causing her to laugh again even as the distorted extra's on her laptop repeated, "_Upside down_," a couple of times. Finally, she pulled away enough to shake her finger as if she were scolding him as she caught her breath. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him to spin them around in a turn through the beginning of the chorus again. However, Amy interrupted their simple dance when the chorus cut off in the middle of the last line to repeat again by raising her hands to his shoulders. She pulled herself up into a modified hand-stand before she swung back down to the ground behind him, having kept her body faced inward so that she was facing his back, landing with only a mild "thump." She smiled at him triumphantly as he turned around to face her again and he pulled her back to him with a proud smile. They did what Amy would later describe to Arya as a couple's cha-cha, and then they began to turn again as the right-before-last line repeated itself.

The song had an abrupt stopping spot, right after the last line cut off. Murtagh had pulled Amy's leg over his hip and tipped her backwards to a thirty degree angle, his hand resting lightly on her knee still as other hand wrapped around the small of her back to steady her. She was left to balance on the ball of her grounded foot with her heel hovering just over the ground, that same leg slipping between Murtagh's. Her arms were loosely wrapped around his neck, and their foreheads were touching again. Both were smiling as they panted for breath, obviously proud of themselves.

Claps rang out from the elves and from Eragon, even as the dragons showed their approval with roars. Before anyone could approach the pair, another melody filled the air, that of an instrument none of those listening but one were familiar with.

"Oh _fuck_…" Amy hissed, trying to squirm away from Murtagh and ignoring the gasps of those around her at her language. She had to stop that song, she had to! _She was such a moron for locking her computer down after the duet started…_

**...and now you have to wait to find out what happens next! Because yes, once again I am sitting on a finished chapter! However, I can POSSIBLY be persuaded into posting early… Say, if the reviews hit 75 before Thursday? Otherwise, you are stuck waiting to see why Amy is freaked out on Friday. And because the story is rated "T" I'm allowed to use the "f" word once! That being said, I'm finding the Murtagh in my head when he does inner monologues _likes_ that word, so I'm having to be very, _very_ careful...**

**For those who recognized the song, you get bonus points if you name it in a review. Admittedly, I goobered with like, two, of the lyrics, but otherwise I left it intact. But you see what I had to submit myself to? I had to drag myself back before I was even a teenager to find a decent song. Ugh…**

**The PhotoBucket album listed in the previous chapter has been updated with Amy's hair clips and dress from this chapter. I HIGHLY suggest looking at the dress at least, since I can't accurately describe the design worth a flip.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Kudos to gaaraxsasukexlover! They figured out the song: Upside Down by A*Teens! Though minor correction: it was popular in 2000, roughly nine years ago... I was ten, and had yet to discover the wonders of Emo music. That would come with Evanescense, who is, btw, featured in this week's chapter!**

**Sad note: We didn't get enough reviews for an early posting... I'm sorry. At least I'm posting on time! Minor little recap from the beginning of the last chapter, so you don't really have to go back and reread the last paragraph...**

**Disclaimer: If I owned anything, I wouldn't be taking out student loans, now would I?**

_"Oh _fuck_..." Amy hissed, trying to squirm away from Murtagh and ignoring the gasps of those around her at her language. She had to stop that song, she had to! _She was such a moron for locking her computer down after the duet started...

As if on cue, the grace she had managed to maintain only thanks to hours of secretly practicing the dance with Murtagh slipped away like it had wings and she went skidding to the ground with a pained yelp. "Amy, slow down," Murtagh scolded with a laugh, reaching down to help her up by the elbows. She could only look at him, with wide, fearful eyes, which made his amusement fade. He frowned at her and kept his grip on her elbows even though she was now standing. "Sister Rider, what's wrong?" he tried to tease, only to have her flinch at the pet name Eragon had given her when they weren't squabbling. The teenage brunette tried to squirm away again, but he refused to let go, even as the music continued to play from the laptop. It shocked Eragon, who knew that Amy never tolerated being kept in someone's hold without vigorous protests, physical attacks, and mental backlashes. What was going on with her?

"_Under your spell, again... I can't say no to you. Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hands... I can't say no to you..._" Amy's familiar voice came from the laptop and she froze, looking like a deer cornered by a pack of wolves. Everyone else did too, the meaning of the words not lost on anyone listening. "Shit..." she breathed brokenly, finally ceasing her struggles and letting Murtagh pull her forward into his hold gently, trying to offer her comfort for something he couldn't understand. "_Shouldn't have let you torture me so sweetly. Now I can't let go of this dream, I can't breathe but I feel...good enough... I feel good enough...for you..._"

"Amy...?" he made to ask her who the song was for, only to be cut off by the song picking up again. She clung to him, a rather unexpected turn of events. It wasn't until Murtagh realized his tunic was getting wet that she was crying.

"..._And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind,_" she softly sang along with her own voice, her tone matching perfectly despite the fact she was crying and upset, though Amy had to pause for a few moments to catch her breath and keep her voice somewhat steady "_...now I can't let go of this dream, can't believe that I feel... good enough... I feel good enough..._"

"Shh..." Murtagh tried to sooth her, resting one of his hands on the back of her head. He couldn't imagine having his feelings for someone revealed this way, by accident. She was too upset to move and seemed resigned to letting the song play out now that it had started. Understandable, since her group of followers would have insisted on hearing it once it reached their ears.

All this streamed through his mind in a few moments, and he was pulled from it by Amy's hands fisting in his tunic, her obvious attempt to keep a physical anchor as she tried to keep her feelings of humiliation and heartache from leaking to those around her. He was amazed she had kept them from him, with him holding her so close, much less the memories of the many attacks she had suffered that were notably absent. "_And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall... Pour real life down on me... Cause I can't hold on, to anything this good enough..._" she whimpered as she finished the last line, her hands relaxing though staying pressed against his chest. The distraught girl raised her head so it was no longer completely hidden in his tunic, though she still wouldn't look at him. "_Am I good enough...for you to love me too?_" she sang, finally glancing up at him from underneath her bangs.

Murtagh felt, and was sure he looked, pole-axed. It was _him_... Oh hell, it was _him_ that the song was for... No wonder she cussed when it started to play! She had been pressed against him like a second skin... Okay, more like chain mail, but she had been in a rather intimate position all the same...

What was he doing rambling about that? Amy just confessed _her love_ to him and all he could was stare at her as the laptop played her going through a long series of wordless notes.

Before he could recover, she pulled away from him, taking several steps back, looking like a frightened hare or fawn. Her arms were protectively crossed so her hands ended up on her shoulders, and she refused to look at him again. The delicate, moon-touched girl looked to be near tears again. "_So take care...what you ask of me. Cause I can't say no..._" she finished the song dourly, only to then turn away. The laptop was forcefully slammed closed, and she shoved it into her bag as she ran. Her sobs could be heard by everyone present even after she was gone from the clearing.

Jadia, thankfully, didn't hesitate for long. She flapped her wings and took flight immediately, obviously knowing that her Rider would need her to keep from doing anything drastic. Murtagh could only collapse where he stood. His knees protested their sudden impact to the ground, as did the palms of his hands, but the pain felt like it was just deserts compared to what Amy was feeling... Delicate, fragile Amy that tried so hard to act tough so no one would even think of hurting her again, that made those who cared for her just want to wrap her up in their arms and assure her that they could be trusted, they would protect her...

Who the hell was he trying to kid now? The only other one who felt that insanely protective of her was her dragon. Murtagh was the only other Rider, the only other person for that matter, who felt that way about her, who saw beneath all her carefully constructed walls and shields.

What _killed_ him was how obvious her affections were in hindsight. She wouldn't hit him even in practice, though she didn't hesitate to give Eragon bruises on and outside of the training grounds. Her mental backlashes from being touched by a male or being physically restrained never hit him, and in fact she seemed to have found a way to make them stop entirely unless she forced them to appear. The young girl was always nervous, always anxious, when left alone with him, and tried to leave as soon as possible...

Gods, he really was blind.

"Murtagh..." Eragon's hesitant voice made him sit back so his hands were fisted on his knees. "Murtagh!" he finally said more sharply. Raising his head to glare at his half-brother, Murtagh was stunned at the fear he saw there. "Brother, I need you to think for a moment," he said more gently, "Think about Amy. She just had her heart accidentally shown to a large group of people, the man she has feelings for had no reaction, and she's alone. Do we need to worry about her?"

_Water stained red with blood. Sister screaming her twin's name as she begs the dying girl to live... Not to leave her alone..._

"Yes," he managed to croak, "Don't leave her alone, or even just with Jadia. Lyn... Lyn took her own life after her love died, Amy knows how to do it."

"Lyn?" Arya questioned as Eragon rushed off on Saphira's back for the other Rider's home. He vaguely heard her kneel down beside him, though her warm hand was a shock when it touched his shoulder. He felt so cold, so chilled at recalling Amy's last memory of her sister....

Murtagh finally managed to explain, "Amy's twin... She died a few months before Amy came here. They were nearly identical... And from what I could tell, they had a bond as strong as that between Rider and dragon. It broke something inside her when Lyn died, also like a Dragon/Rider bond, when she realized she was all alone and had to survive on by herself... She built walls, defenses as strong as any, to protect herself from feeling anything like that again..."

And thanks to him she was. He shuddered, feeling even colder. What if she followed Lyn...? A world without Amy's teasing and sarcasm, the light she managed to shine despite of how bent she was... Because Amy could never be described as completely broken, no matter what happened to her. Hell-bent, maybe, but never shattered like other women who had suffered from similar attacks. She was fragile, yes, and definitely needed to be protected and coddled no matter how vehement her protests, but she had her own kind of strength, and they needed that strength.

_He_ needed that strength.

Much like his realization that it was him Amy had affection for, his own feelings for her felt like they hit him over the head. He was as bad as she was, trying not to hurt her during weapons practice to the point of pulling his blows back till she was barely feeling a fraction of them, even though he and Eragon would beat each other black and blue. Murtagh took extra efforts to make sure Amy was comfortable, especially in crowds. He had even chased away any potential suitors at that dance well over a month ago and kept her attention focused on him. And it wasn't easy to forget Eragon's teasing whenever a random sighting of Amy sent him into a daze.

_He loved her, too._

_Then why are we still here, while she is somewhere else_? Thorn asked, bemused by his Rider's slow uptake. Obviously all three dragons had been in on what was going through Amy's head, since they all refused to ask her what had her so on edge all the time.

Murtagh didn't need further prompting. He was up on his feet in a flash, striding towards the garnet dragon as fast as his feet could take him.

"Where are you going?" Arya demanded as she copied him, though she had to stop after a couple of steps. Brom was clinging to her skirt, obviously frightened and unsettled by everything that was going on around him. The elf rested her hand on his head reassuringly as she anxiously waited for a response from her brother-in-law.

He barely glanced over his shoulder at her as he swung himself up on to Thorn's back. "To find Amy," he told her, "I need to tell her that I feel the same way she does."

Watching Thorn take to the skies, Arya looked down at Brom's hesitant call. She knelt down beside him, taking his hands into hers, as he shakily asked, "What's wrong with Amy? Why did Papa and Uncle Murt go after her?"

"Your uncle was a bit slow in realizing what Amy said in that pretty song of hers," Arya assured her son, "He's gone to go talk to her and apologize." He sniffled and she pulled Brom into her arms for a comforting hug. So young, but still, he was very in tune to the emotions around him, especially in those he adored, like Murtagh and Amy. Even Arya was mildly upset by watching this drama take place on what had been a lovely, peaceful day. However, the tension had been building between the two for so long now, it was almost a relief that they were finally going to stop tip-toeing around each other.

Murtagh resisted the urge to press Thorn to go faster. The bulky dragon was built for combat, and as such he wasn't the fastest flyer. He still beat walking on foot, though that didn't curb his Rider's impatience. It took him by surprise when the dragon landed at the base of Amy's tree rather than on the dragon's landing. _It wouldn't hold all three of us, and Jadia and Saphira are already there,_ Thorn explained as Murtagh dismounted. _Now hurry._

_I am,_ Murtagh mentally growled back at his dragon. The stairs were just as steep as they would be for an elf, but Murtagh was used to his own nightmarish climb every day, so he was able to take them two at a time for at least a while. His mind was open, and he felt Eragon's consciousness brush against his half-way up. _How is she?_ he demanded, pausing to catch his breath.

Eragon hesitated a moment before he answered, _She's lying in her bed, so she's physically sound. But she's completely blocked Jadia and I from her thoughts and emotions. I can't tell you what she's thinking right now._

_I'm on my way,_ Murtagh promised, feeling his brother's relief. Eragon was a great person to have around usually, but with Amy he tended to say the wrong thing. She desperately needed someone else with her, but she had set off so fast and the risk had been so great Eragon had been the only choice. If it had been any other kind of situation, Murtagh would have gone, but this time he needed to get his own head straight before he tried to help the newest Rider.

_Please, Amy, please,_ he mentally pleaded rather than waste breath needed to climb, willing to bet she still didn't hear him, _Wait for me and hear me out... Just wait for me..._

He stumbled on a step and had to grab the wall to stay standing when he felt the barest of brushes against his mind, giving him the sense that she had heard him and would wait. It wasn't short enough that he didn't feel her anguish, but he also wasn't sucked into the vortex that he was sure her mind had become. Murtagh hastened his steps even further; he wasn't going to waste that temporary acceptance.

**And so now we are set up for the infamous confession scene... Any ideas on how Murtagh is going to fess up to his feelings, or do you think he will chicken? And how will Amy react to all this?**

**...**

**I only sorta know... I've got about a quarter of the next chapter done. That said, I'll try and finish it this weekend so it can be done by Monday. Once again, it's up to you on how early you get the post: 80 reviews before Thursday, and I'll post early.**


	15. Chapter 15

**You all need to thank irock329, who almost singlehandedly insured this early update. It isn't a mammoth chapter like the last few have been but it does settle the current plot twist… The next chapter holds another…**

**Disclaimer: …Fifteen chapters into this and you still haven't figured out that I own only Amy and Jadia? (shakes her head, ashamed on your behalf)**

Panting for breath as he leaned against Amy's main door's frame, Murtagh caught his breath and tried to regain the feeling in his legs. He heard a slight clatter of noise, and then Eragon appeared at the door. The worry and relief on his face would have been easy to identify for someone who didn't know the first of the new generation of Riders; for his elder half-brother, it was painfully obvious that Eragon was out of his depth and desperate for aid. "She won't talk, she won't respond to Jadia, in fact she's managed to make that hurricane-mind of hers go to the point that even Jadia is overwhelmed by it if she tries to start a conversation," Eragon half-informed, half-pleaded. Amy's mind had always been a nasty place to go probing without permission, but she had managed to keep it from sucking in unexpected mages after her first few months of training. For it to have gotten worse than it ever was meant that she was spiraling into a deep depression.

Murtagh swallowed thickly and didn't verbally reply. Instead, he shouldered past Eragon, walking with hesitant steps to the bed, sticking to the opposite side as Jadia who had stretched out beside it, her head resting beside a lump under the covers that he could only assume was Amy. There was too much space between the edge of the bed and where the female had hidden herself, so Murtagh took the presumption and moved to where he was lying beside her, propped up against the headboard.

Hesitating only for a moment, he reached over and pulled the blanket off from her head and weaved the other through the flyaway chocolate curls. The angle of her face let him see her eyes clench shut, even as his mind was sucked into her own thoughts. Rather than fight his way free, he kept her still, kept her near him, and instead began to give her some of his own thoughts, memories, and emotions from since he met her in return for hers. At first, the hurricane of misery, self-mutilation, and pain became worse, making Thorn and Jadia roar in distress, one from beside the human pair and the other from the ground.

However, soon the panic-worthy hurricane of emotions and thoughts stopped leaking to the dragons. Eragon, who had been forced to shield himself stronger than he had ever done before in his life, found he could relax the shields. Cautiously, he looked over to his fellow Riders.

Murtagh cradled the back of Amy's head in the palms of his hands gently, fingers delicately tangled in the mass of curls that had been freed of their decorative pins but were still at least partially bound by her hair tie. Her own hands warily copied his grip on his jaw, making it to where one couldn't look away from the other. Amy's bloodshot, watery eyes frantically scanned Murtagh's face as he smiled back at her, completely calm.

Even as Eragon opened his mouth, he felt the glares from both female dragons and wisely shut it. However, he couldn't help mentally noting, _They are complete opposites, one annoyingly stoic and the other overly emotional, but yet… They seem so much alike…_

_Like you and Arya…? _Saphira teased, making him scowl at her.

"Why…?" Amy's soft, wavering question dragged Eragon's and Saphira's attention back to her and Murtagh. She didn't continue, just left the unfinished question hanging as she seemed to struggle to understand her own thoughts and emotions.

"Why what?" Murtagh asked, his tone lightly teasing but still serious, "Why do I admire your strength and intelligence, which at times seem to push you far above both myself and Eragon? Why do I enjoy your humor and your light, to the point that I can't imagine a world without it? Why do I see grace and beauty in everything you do?" Here he paused as if unsure of how far he could push her before saying softly, "Or are you asking why I love you, in which case I can only say look to everything I have just said and all that you have heard, seen, and felt from me. You think you are so undeserving of everything good that comes your way… Is it so hard to believe that I was afraid that I didn't deserve you, after all the horror and dark deeds I have done? You know I served Galbatorix, you know the harm I have done. And yet you are able to care for me anyway… Is it so hard to believe that I can care for you as well, despite the scars from your past?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but he glared at her, obviously still able to hear her thoughts as he said harshly, "Don't think things like that! You aren't 'broken,' there is nothing wrong with you that can't be helped in time!" Quieting his voice, he was still fierce as he defended Amy from herself, "I can sense your wounds, and they are already healing. With a little time and adjustments you might not be like you were, because it did happen, but you will be able to be with whoever you wish to be with. If you don't believe me, know that Jadia would never have hatched for someone who was in any sense completely broken, such people are far too easy to manipulate."

Silence reigned for a moment, and then Eragon found himself rather forcefully dragged into his saddle by Saphira. _She's fine now, or will be once they finish sorting things out, you are just making her feel self-conscious because you don't know what happened_, she scolded. He didn't even have time to protest, she was off the platform and into the skies. A blur of red out of the corner of his vision told him Thorn had taken Saphira's place in the Rider's room.

_Let's just hope Jadia waits till Thorn is out of her Rider's room before she kills him,_ he told Saphira with mild amusement. The drama and stress of the day were taking their toll on Eragon, but he had to go back to the festival and talk to the elves, apologizing on behalf of the other Riders and soothing any ruffled political feathers. Sighing in annoyance, he braced himself for the hen pecking to begin.

The pair stayed locked in their current position until Amy's memories, stirred first by her embarrassment at the festival, boiling over when Murtagh forced her to face him, and now suppressed as she tried to hear him out, finally had enough. She flinched and tried to withdraw from their embrace, despite being on her back and therefore not really able to move. However, Murtagh saw her struggles and knew what they were for. He shifted to where he was no longer leaning over her and keeping her in place. A gentle nudge had her pressed against his side and unwound from the ball she had curled up in, her head gently resting on his shoulder. "Better?" he asked cautiously.

She nodded and sighed, utterly exhausted from the day's events despite the face the sun was barely kissing the horizon. Jadia had moved away from her Rider's bed to give the two humans more privacy, but that didn't stop her from hissing and snapping at Thorn when he got too close to her for her comfort.

"You know, I don't think she really hates him," Amy said conversationally. Murtagh glanced down at her, his disbelief clearly written all over his face. "Well, I don't _think_ so anyway. I think she's just very upset at him for trying to make a move on her while she was naïve and didn't know what was happening."

Translating Amy's odd slang in his head, he chuckled and said, "Thorn isn't exactly _subtle_ either."

"Hm. Well, I suppose one of the pair has to be blunt," she said with a shrug glancing up at him shyly. That look bellied her next words that were said in her normal, slightly sarcastic tone, "You certainly kept all your feelings under lock and key."

He laughed, trying to ease her shyness. It was boggling, that she could stare down a loud-mouth elf without flinching but she trembled in fear at actually having to _talk_ about her feelings and where they now stood. "Subconsciously, I was trying to salvage my pride. You would try to be kind if you had to let me down, but you are far too blunt to be very good at it. Hindsight is the only thing that let me see the obvious signs you were leaving, and the ones I was exhibiting to anyone who noticed as well," he told her with amusement.

She held his free hand in one of hers, tracing the lines on his palm thoughtfully. Murtagh barely resisted the urge to shudder from the sensation her blunt fingernails were causing. Amy finally said softly, "I try to deal with the memories, to make them stop taking over every time a male comes near me. I succeed some of the time, but I still get overwhelmed. I'm not sure how much of a relationship I can pursue…" Amy trailed off, obviously not sure what else to say.

Gently turning his hand so he could weave their fingers together, he gently squeezed her hand and said softly, "I may push you a little occasionally, trying to make it possible for us to be as close as a normal pair as possible simply to keep attention away from us. But I won't make you uncomfortable or force you into doing anything." His assurances were all he had to offer. Assurances and time to prove that he would be true to his word.

She quietly nodded, letting them stay in their current position, her memories only quiet whispers in the back of her mind. Amy was so tired, she was almost asleep in his arms, Murtagh noted, running his fingers through the mused curls silently. Finally, he softly said her name. She murmured inarticulately, obviously on the edges of sleep. Taking this for as good of a chance as ever, he used his thumb to gently tilt her face up and lowered his mouth to hers. Her body jerked as her mind jolted out of her half-conscious state, but he held her still for now.

At first, Amy was stunned, her mind unable to comprehend what was happening. Then if felt like her blood turned into liquid fire. She gasped against Murtagh's mouth, raising her hands to tangle them urgently in his hair as she pressed her lips harder against his. Her ears barely heard his muffled groan as he eagerly did as she asked and deepened the kiss further. The world faded away as if it didn't exist. Not even their bonds with their dragons could interfere with the heat and sensation surfacing from an otherwise simple touch.

When they finally pulled apart, Amy realized her eyes had closed. Opening them as quickly as possible, she found Murtagh's grey eyes locked with her own, a smug smirk on his face. "I really should slap that smirk off your face," she falsely mused with a sigh, "You'll get into bad, chauvinistic-themed, ego-swelling habits if I don't."

"I can think of better ways," he answered in amusement, before dipping his head to kiss her again. Both were once more overwhelmed in fire, unable to even imagine separating.

A pained whine from Thorn forced them apart as Murtagh looked over to see what was wrong. Jadia had his wing in her mouth, and she tightened her jaw around the delicate membrane warningly. He rolled his eyes upward, not even wanting to ask the dragon what had happened this time.

"In the tradition of the patriarchal, classist society, isn't the male supposed to be dominant?"

Amy's logical jab at Thorn made his Rider snort in laughter. Thorn snorted as well, but it was in annoyance as he finally pried Jadia's teeth off from around his wing. This time, when she snapped at him, he didn't hesitate to use his larger size and girth to pin her down, her teeth in range only of where his scales were thick enough that biting him wouldn't do her any good.

"He is," Murtagh said when Thorn triumphed in his most recent scramble with Jadia. Amy sighed and reached up. He couldn't tell what she was doing till the dull pain of her fingernails digging into his ear reached his pain receptors, only to let out whimper when she tugged forcibly at his ear.

"You were saying?" she asked, a wicked smile on her face. If he hadn't known before, Murtagh now knew for sure that their relationship was going to be a far cry from traditional.

…**I wonder if I will ever have Jadia and Thorn actually get along…**

**No reward of an early update this time, you'll get your next chapter on Friday. However, if you review and either sign in or leave an e-mail address, I will send you a message with a hint of what happens in the next chapter, possibly even a teaser!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Yay, new chapter time. And before anyone asks, I haven't even started on the next one yet, I've been sick... So I'll be working on that for a chunk of the weekend (I also have to study for a Government exam), so if you all kick the reviews up to 110 you'll get it as soon as I finish it. Already, I've received more feedback for this story than anything else I've ever done, so thank you, all of you.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing! NOTHING! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (runs off, continuing her insane laughter)**

While the elves never dared to think they understood _everything_ about the Riders, they did have the impression they understood what happened during the lessons young Riders participated in. So, when Vanir stumbled into Oromis's clearing, he wasn't expecting what he saw.

Eragon and Oromis were at their logic questions, a habit meant to increase Eragon's already adequate reasoning abilities. Glaedr and Saphira both were sunning while their Riders talked, not surprising with the weather being far warmer than was usual for a spring day. Jadia and Thorn were mock fighting, though the "mock" part was questionable, as she seemed uncaring if she actually tore into garnet-toned flesh. It was Amy and Murtagh, the two Riders who had been a declared couple only for a couple of weeks now, who made him question how much learning and practice was happening.

Amy was propped up against a tree, laying between the roots and looking as comfortable as if she were in a feather bed, her legs folded under her like a fawn. Her fingers were carefully running through Murtagh's hair, his head situated in her lap as he stretched out on the forest floor, one knee bent slightly to accommodate a tree root. His eyes were closed as he seemed to bask in her attentions. Both wore identical, soft smiles on their faces.

He almost felt like he had walked into a secluded glen rather than a rather open clearing, one that was solely occupied by the two.

It annoyed him.

"I wasn't aware the Riders took time to cater to the needs of a pair of lovebirds," he politely criticized. Vanir was one of many who were upset with Amy for the drama she caused at the festival. All four dragons stiffened, the pair fighting stopping their actions, even as Oromis and Eragon both leveled disapproving glances at him.

Blinking, Murtagh opened his eyes and tilted his head so he could see Vanir, even while staying within Amy's touch. Dressed in gray leggings, a thin white shirt, and light gray tunic, he would have looked nice if it weren't for the fact his clothes were rumbled from lying on the ground. Amy glanced up as well, jade eyes sparkling with mocking good humor at his interruption. He sneered at her, especially after gaining a good look at her clothing. There were no straps or sleeves to her dress, the thin magenta fabric simply came up to a few inches beneath her collarbone. The fabric indecently twisted around her breasts as if to draw attention to them. It fit her torso tightly, probably to insure it stayed up, before it flared into a skirt that still only came to her knees, yet she dared to wear slippers with it, judging by the fact the white leather shoes were beside her, though her feet were currently bare. Never mind that he himself and the other men had taken to wearing the lightest materials possible, many including Vanir and Murtagh leaving their shirts unfastened at the collar to try and lessen the heat. It was still incredibly improper for her to show so much skin.

"What an expression…" she teased him, playing with one of Murtagh's painfully straight, long strands. Her chocolate locks fell to the ground beside her in reckless curls in contrast to his, but she at least made an attempt to control them by pulling the front back. Vanir wasn't familiar with the rose pendant hanging from the hollow of her throat, sustained there by a silver metal hoop, but he recognized the design as one of her companion's purely because of the simplicity of it. An absent glance at her ears showed more of Murtagh's handiwork there, in this case small, delicate-looking, silver rose-and-leaf earrings. When the male Rider finally sat up and moved to sit beside the female as if to defend her from Vanir, the elf noted another piece of jewelry with astonishment; a bracelet baring a single, silver rose-shaped piece and completed by two strands of freshwater pearls with silver chain and clasps hung from her left wrist.

_She is using him_, he though viciously, _And he lavishly decorates her with trinkets of his affection._

"Alright, thunderhead, out with it," the girl said with a sigh, "You've already interrupted an otherwise perfect day, you might as well deliver whatever is causing that face."

Cross looks from Oromis and Vanir both had her blinking at them in confusion. It was Murtagh who braved her memories, only to laugh at what he found. "She didn't call you 'thunderhead' as any kind of insult," he explained, "That is simply the term for a large cloud, one that stretches miles into the sky that is found in the front of a large, usually very severe storm where she is from. And you do look a bit like someone who is about to cause rain on everyone's happy moment."

Vanir's expression didn't change as the other two Riders laughed at his expense. Only Amy stayed serious, the female Rider staring at him with those wide, light green eyes of hers that had lost their mocking humor of before and now seemed to be filled with dread.

"Quit looking at me like I shot your dog," he finally snapped at her, "I doubt you will be affected by this news at all." The young elf was thrilled when he saw a flash of hurt appear in those eyes before she turned her gaze to her hands, one of them playing with a pearl on her bracelet absently. That only antagonized Vanir more as he was reminded of how much the red dragon's Rider was spoiling her.

Murtagh reached over and grabbed Amy's hand with one hand as the other loosely wrapped around her shoulders, squeezing her own fair shoulder comfortingly. "Perhaps you should state your news and leave us be," he said quietly, though the deadly tinge to his voice was unmistakable. Vanir knew he had stepped too far and had stirred the Rider's protective instincts.

"We have received word from Sudra," the elf said stiffly, turning his attention away from the pair and instead focusing on Eragon and Oromis, "King Orrin has died. His heir, a second cousin's son I believe, is requesting the Dragon Riders attend the funeral along with the notable royalty of the Broddring kingdom, Ellesméra, and Tronjheim."

While Eragon and Murtagh both looked suitable distressed, Oromis appeared calm as always. It was Amy's reaction that was entertaining. She raised her head up slightly and seemed to stare at the tree tops as she mouthed the words, "Sudra," and "Orrin," several times, obviously trying to figure out their significance. Vanir was disappointed in her understanding of current heads of state, until her head snapped down as it seemed to mentally click who they were talking about. However, she asked Murtagh to confirm quietly, "Isn't Orrin the one who took hundreds of pounds of glass instruments with him everywhere during the War for his experiments?"

When he gave her a look, she returned it sharply, "I can't remember clearly; Oromis stole my book so I haven't read it in ages. I'm just trying to see if I'm remembering the right person in connection to the name." Murtagh rolled his eyes upward and sighed, though his expression was that of pleasant exasperation, not annoyance.

It seemed Amy was slow on the uptake that morning, as what Vanir said finally clicked in her head. She gasped softly in disbelief, "Dead…? When, how? And why on earth are you the one telling us all this?" A sharp elbow in the side by Murtagh warned her she was being rude; like she cared.

Vanir stiffened under her questions, but answered as concisely as possible. The young elf had been with Arya and the queen when the messenger arrived from Sudra, so he had been selected to approach the Riders as Arya prepared for her own journey. Orrin's had been found in his laboratory a few days ago, having suffered from a sudden illness during the night. Delegates from the kingdoms requested would be on the move towards Sudra immediately.

Eragon did a little mental figuring before being able to say with confidence that the Riders could afford to wait about a week or so before leaving themselves, the dragons' flying ability making the trip faster at least in part for them. Amy snorted as she stood up and said, "Good." When all four males gave her a look, she said patronizingly, "Well, I need the time to hash together something to wear. You do wear black to a funeral here, right?"

Even as Oromis nodded, Vanir gave her an odd look. "You don't own mourning clothes?" he said, sounding almost scandalized.

"First time anyone has died while I've been present in your world, thank you very much," she tartly informed him, gesturing to her face, "And does it look like my coloring suites black very well? No, it doesn't. I look sallow and sickly when I wear it, so I avoid it whenever possible. However," she sighed dramatically, making Eragon snicker and Murtagh roll his eyes again in tolerant annoyance, "A Rider's duty comes before personal shallowness." Kissing Murtagh on the cheek as she slipped her shoes back on, she said "Change of plans, I'll see you later tonight, alright? I need to steal a few moments of Arya's time to find out what is and is not appropriate." Waving her hand at the others, she tripped and stumbled through the undergrowth.

"What plans?" Eragon asked Murtagh, knowing nothing of what that cryptic statement meant. However, he quickly noted that his elder brother was distracted by watching Amy walk away, his eyes fixed on the smooth skin of her lower legs. Laughing heartily, he clapped Murtagh on the shoulder and teased, "As much as I can understand being unable to take your eyes off of the woman you love, you can oogle Amy's legs later. Now, what plans was she talking about?"

"Oh, I was going to fix her supper tonight for her birthday," Murtagh answered absently, obviously still dazzled by Amy and the plethora of skin she had left exposed today.

Vanir blinked and shared a confused, slightly ashamed look with Eragon. The Rider's shame was for not knowing, but the elf's was because he now realized the jewelry he though Amy had coerced out of Murtagh must have been his gifts to her in celebration.

The older man's head snapped up as he realized what he just said, and colorful language that impressed those listening turned the air blue. "I wasn't supposed to say anything," he finally said, "She didn't want you all to know, for some inane reason, that she turns eighteen today, and now she is going to…" he trailed off and shuddered.

Vanir didn't understand. Amy's temper may have become legendary by now, but so was the fact that outside of a pair of long daggers, she had relatively no weapons skills. However, he finally recalled that she was the best magician of any of the Riders, and instantly understood Murtagh's worry. "You have my sympathy."

"Sympathy is nice, but that is not going to save me from her when she finds out." Murtagh looked towards her dragon, not liking the rather nasty glint in the green female's eyes. "Jadia?"

_May I remind you of a comment you made a couple of days ago…?_ Jadia drawled, her eyes narrowing like a cat that had cornered a mouse.

Murtagh groaned. He had insinuated that the female dragon should quit playing hard to get before Thorn changed his mind about the fellow-comrade-but-unable-to-complete-trust-cause-we've-been-on-opposite-sides-of-war relationship that he had with Saphira. Now it seems he was paying for it. "Please?" he pleaded.

Her fanged smile was not reassuring.

Finally, Thorn moved in on behalf of his Rider with a neat tuck of his head and wings, he sent Jadia sprawling like she was a little dracling again. As all the Riders present and Vanir struggled not to laugh and Saphira and Glaedr exchanged amused looks, Jadia had to untangle herself from the folds of her wings, hissing angrily at Thorn all the while. Whatever he said to her none of them overheard, but when Jadia busied herself in pulling out a few loose scales, Murtagh knew Thorn had convinced her not to tell Amy about his slip. Breathing a sigh of relief, he joined in Eragon's and Oromis's discussion over the latest law issued in the Broddring Kingdom as Vanir slipped away.

The elves thought they knew what happened in the Rider's training sessions… They really had no idea.

**Mostly lead up in this chapter, though I couldn't get the idea of Murtagh being entranced by Amy's bare legs out of my head… Remember, if you saw a woman's ankle it was the equivalent of her wearing a miniskirt in the time the Inheritance Cycle is set. Amy's inevitable silliness appeared… She is so serious all the time; I had to give her something to lighten up. So now I go off to stew in my plot as it arises over the next couple of chapters… which are probably going to be the last and wrap everything up, with an epilogue of some sort… I know, I'm depressed too.**

**Amy's jewelry (My Murtagh is excessive with birthday gifts, I found… -_-) and her dress can be found on the PhotoBucket album, and for once I didn't draw the dress, I foundeded it. Here's the link once more (I'm also adding it to my profile's page), just remember to remove the spaces.**

**http:// s287. photobucket. com/ albums/ ll152/ EvaEmaria/ Jade% 20Eyes% 20Designs/**


	17. Chapter 17

**(throws her copy of ****Emma ****out a window) I have developed a hatred of that book. I had to read it in a week, the same week I had to judge a speech tournament, including Public Forum Debate. Thus, I didn't even begin writing this chapter till Friday last week, with barely any time to work on it. I also had to take my car into the shop today for a new battery, so that's why I'm so late posting. Here it is though, sorry for the wait!**

**Disclaimer: (eyes them and points to the door) If you think I still own, go away. I don't have time for you.**

Wearily climbing her steps with a wince as her legs protested, Amy leaned against her door frame with a sigh. "I hate elves…" she muttered, her heart not really in it. It wasn't so much the race she minded, just that they had this annoying habit of forgetting that humans didn't have quite their strength or endurance. She had been here for going-on-to a year now, and she still wasn't used to that climb. However, she was forced to internally admit part of her problem was exhaustion, trying to get everything she would need for this impromptu trip to Sudra. Kicking off her leather slippers and mental noting she would need to clean them before she put them away, she rubbed one aching foot tiredly before finally stumbling her way into her room.

_Happy birthday to me…_ she thought glumly, turning the day's events over in her mind. She had woken up to a box already on her bed, with Jadia refusing to say anything until she opened it. After she had gotten over what was in her mind justifiable anger at Murtagh for an overly-extravagant gift, she had set to the riddle of figuring out _how the _hell_ the _blasted man_ found out her birth date_! She hadn't told a soul, except Jadia who would have wiggled it out of her by any means necessary. A threat to Jadia's greatest treasure that Amy took sick, twisted pleasure in knowing about insured that hadn't been the case.

Confused as all get out, she had turned every conversation she had ever had with him over in her head before it finally hit her out of left field. _Lyn's grave_… she had realized as her heart lurched. _I showed him Lyn's grave, and our birth date is on it…_ She hadn't expected Murtagh to have that good of a memory to remember something unimportant. Glancing at the box of jewelry, she had smirked and decided to throw the poor boy a bone for the day.

The look on his face when he saw her in that dress had been worth it. Poor Murtagh… She was just physically unable to get as close to him as he would have liked because of her past trauma. They cuddled occasionally, and kissed, but she always had to have a way to escape or else she would lock up, or worse, start throwing memories at him, none of them pleasant. Seeing her in a dress that left shoulders, arms, and legs exposed may have been slightly torturous seeing as he couldn't touch the revealed skin, but it was a pleasurable torture at least… She hoped.

Her thoughts were rambling, Amy realized with a smirk moving to flop down on to her bed only to freeze before she managed to hurt herself on it… Well, more like what covered it. Pink roses, most whole, some only partially bloomed and then just loose petals, covered her bed to the point she couldn't even see her comforter. A part of her doubted she'd ever successfully remove all of the blooms, and her bedding would carry their scent for months most likely.

Problem: she knew these roses, the delicate blooms starting out the color of her dress but fading to a near-white hue, and they weren't even in bloom for another two months.

"Murtagh…" the female sighed, amused and only slightly exasperated. Rather than try and clear all of the blooms away, not to mention she had no idea where to find a vase, she instead shifted them around till there was a spot for her to lie right in the middle of them.

Vaguely, she wondered if he was playing with her middle name, and a slightly shy smile tugged at Amy's mouth. _It would be like him… _She reasoned, rolling over onto her side so that the flowers were in her field of vision. Running one hand along a bloom on her pillow, she mused about how over-the-top he was, even as she enjoyed the attention. However, it took all the temper she could manage to stir up when it came to Murtagh to rein him in. If she didn't, he would most likely be this flambouyant about everything he did with her, like he had to keep giving her _things_ in exchange for her love… _Silly man… All I need is him_… she mused before drifting off to sleep.

"_Lyn! Lyn, where are you! Lyn!" the petite girl called with worry. Dressed haphazardly in too-short jeans and a too large hoodie, she didn't even have shoes on, and her long dark hair was tangled in its twin braids. Gray-green eyes were drawn and pinched, an expression usually seen on the faces of mothers, not seven-year-olds. However, usually there was a much more feminine doppelganger right alongside this rumbled child, usually equally as inadequately clothes but at least better groomed and with eyes of gray-blue instead. However, that appeared to be the other girl's problem. "Lyn!" she called again, eyes flashing in frustration, "I know you are out here, so answer, damn it!" Even at seven, she had a rather…extensive…vocabulary._

"…_up here…"_

_The rumbled braids shifted as the girl looked up into the branches of the elm tree that grew right alongside the farmhouse. Scowling with all the might of her seven years, she snapped, "You know I hate following you up in that tree!" When there was no response, she sighed and slowly, painstakingly so, made her way up the branches._

_About half-way up the tree was another girl, identical to the first down to the braided pigtails except for her eyes having blue mixed with the silver-tone gray instead of green, dressed in a similar pair of jeans and a winter coat that was at least two years old. It was obvious that unlike her twin, she actually took the time to comb the knots out of her long hair before she braided it. However, she looked just as rumbled from her climb, and her eyes were still leaking tears, as the stains on her cheeks marked she had been for a while now._

"_Where's Mama?" she murmured, obviously upset. "Where's Mama, Amy? It's our birthday… She's supposed to be here…"_

"_Oh Lyn…" Amy sighed, making her twin move so she could sit behind her. Her arms wrapped around her twin's shoulders to offer comfort, as well as a little extra warmth in the unusually nippy spring air. "I'm sorry…"_

_***_

_It was the same place, another spring day that was slightly warmer, but a few years had passed. Lyn's hair was chopped off into a fashionable bob, while Amy had hers twisted up in a hair clip rather than down. While their clothes still weren't brand new, they at least fit correctly, both in shorts and t-shirts, though Amy was in khaki and forest green while Lyn was in denim and navy blue. They were both barefoot like before, but two pairs of white socks and sneakers rested at the roots of the tree. This time, Amy was in front, leaning back so her head was on Lyn's shoulder without digging the clip into her skin. "We're eleven, today…" she murmured, gray-green eyes sleepy. The sun was barely rising in the east. It was early._

"_Think Mama will call?"_

"_Maybe… She called at New Year's."_

_A comfortable silence was shared between the sisters. A breeze caught the smaller branches around them, making them dance. However, the gale soon got harder, and both girls flinched as the branch shifted under them. Amy's was the worst, as she tried to hang on to the wood in panic. It didn't do her any good, not with her inadequate seat. Lyn screamed as her twin fell to the ground, a sickening crack easily heard. The blue-eyed twin held her arm as it seemed to ache, even though she could tell Amy's arm was bent at an odd angle. Her head ached too, but she kept enough presence of mind to climb down carefully and run crying into the house for their father._

_***_

_Brushing her fingertips against her lips in a kiss, she then pressed them to the picture tucked into the frame of her vanity mirror. "Still missing you, my love," she whispered softly. With a sigh, she finished pinning her curls out of her face, except for those she purposefully left loose. Grabbing her school bag, she made sure that she had tucked her copy of __Eldest__ back inside after taking it out last night to read. Looking one last time at the picture, she opened the door without looking behind her._

_Hurrying down the stairs after a quick glance at the clock warned her she was running late, Amy paused as she grabbed her truck keys off their hook in the kitchen. Her father was sitting at the table, obviously waiting for her. He was cleaned up, so it was a good day. Blue eyes, darker and truer than the deceased Lyn's, gazed out from his remarkably plain face. His hair had been golden blonde before it turned gray, a trait neither twin had inherited, and his skin was also darker than either girl's. He twisted his hat self-consciously in his hands before he sad gruffly, "I need a ride into town… Thought I'd talk to McGregor, about old times. See how the acres are doing."_

_It was the first time in months he had taken an interest in the land that he had been letting the neighbor take care of. Beaming, Amy nodded. Common knowledge said the old bachelor Timothy McGregor ate breakfast at the diner every morning. Late to school or not, Amy wasn't going to decline her father's request. He followed her out to the truck, frowning at her radio till she turned it off. It was a quiet ride, but one that thrilled Amy. She was still upset and mourning Lyn, but her father pulling at least partially out of his depression let her beat the worst of the edge back._

_Crunch of metal…_

_Flashes of light…_

_Screaming voices.._

_Jaw-clenching pain and then numbness..._

_So much blood…_

Waking up with a startled gasp, Amy discovered she wasn't alone on her bed anymore. Murtagh had snuck into her room, and shifted the roses for her into a vase on her desk, though petals still liberally decorated her bedding and now her floor. One blossom was in his hand, and he was brushing the silk petals gently against her cheek. "You were having at least partially nice dreams, until the last…" he murmured, setting the flower aside. "You showed me some of them… Just pieces and emotions, really…"

"They weren't really unified in the first place…" she murmured back, raising her hand to gently run her fingertips along his jaw. Apparently she rolled on to her back in her sleep, and he was stretched out on his side beside her, propped up on his elbow. He leaned over her, but perhaps because she was still half-asleep it didn't bother her. His lips casually brushed against hers, making gooseflesh appear on her arms. As if in response, he ran his fingertips lightly over the bare skin before they skimmed lightly down her side to the hem of her skirt. She bent her knees slightly, making it easier for him to gently touch the smooth, pale skin of her lower legs.

"Tease…" he accused lightly, making her giggle helplessly, "I've been unable to do anything but stare at these legs since you first appeared this morning…"

"Consider it a thank you for the presents…" she quipped back breathlessly. He chuckled and moved his mouth to just behind her ear, making her sigh in frustration and pleasure in equal parts as he kissed the sensitive skin there. "I had forgotten…" she quietly mused out loud, "…that I broke my arm seven years ago… Falling out of that old elm tree Lyn was so fond of…" Her face twisted slightly in sorrow, but she continued, "She would always go to there to cry…"

"How was it? Sharing everything with someone?" Murtagh asked, able to tell that no matter how he tried now, he wouldn't have her full attention.

She frowned, obviously trying to put it into words. "A bit like it is now, sharing everything with Jadia," she finally answered slowly, "But I can block out her at least… Lyn and I couldn't make our link close. Or least, I couldn't. Obviously she figured out a way, or she wouldn't have died."

He moved so he was laid on his back alongside her. She twisted in response so she was cuddled up against his side, her head tucked under his chin with her hands lightly resting across his middle and over his heart. Chuckling at how touchy-feely she could be at times, he wrapped an arm loosely around her waist, picking up the hand resting over his navel to twine their fingers together. Finally, he managed to quietly ask, "What was the last one? It was rather disorienting, but I recognize the clothes."

The frown that had eased off her face came back. She sat up and, refusing to look at him no matter how hard he tried to make her meet his eyes with hers, untangled her body from his. Amy walked over to where the dragon entrance opened; the wood was cool on her forehead, and she raised a hand to touch the area close to her face as she leaned back again so it wasn't pressed against the surface anymore. Green eyes drifted closed, and she finally shook her head. "I can't place it…" she murmured, "I think it must have been a real dream, not a memory. I had just bought that green shirt a few weeks ago, and that was the first day the weather cooperated so I could wear it. But I fell out my bedroom door when I came here. I never saw my father that morning."

A touch on her shoulder made her turn her head. Finally, Amy met Murtagh's questioning gaze. His expression smoothed when he saw how distressed she was, and he pulled her into a loose hug, careful not to push her farther than she could stand. "It was a dream, love. Only a dream…" he assured her. Murtagh kissed her forehead, sure that she was better as her body relaxed.

Really, Amy wasn't convinced; she simply accepted how her control didn't extend into the realm of dreams. She focused on her and Murtagh, and her dread of the trip to Sudra for something so grim as a funeral.

**So obviously there is more to this dream than either of them really knows. The next chapter is big and important, so I will have it up on Friday!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Screw life… Seriously, I hate losing control over what I get to do, and I've been doing that a lot lately. Well, this is ubber late, but it's done, so (shrugs helplessly) We're near the end, folks. Four chapters and an epilogue left. However, there is a rather important note at the bottom I would suggest reading…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own, never have owned, and never will own the Inheritance Cycle.**

The soldiers who stood watch at the castle of Sudra started shouting just as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Even in his chambers, Irian could hear the hustle and bustle before his aid knocked at the door. "My lord, the two Dragon Riders and their apprentice have arrived," the dark skin man informed the nobleman.

"Apprentice? So it is true… The Lady Rider exists…" Irian mused out loud. Dressed in Sudra's current fashion, the man had vaguely similar physical characteristics to his deceased relative, though there was something about his face that wasn't quite as trustworthy. He twirled a quill in his fingers, curious but not wanting to rush. "Send them here, immediately," he finally ordered.

"But, sir…" the servant tentatively ventured, "They have been traveling for days, living off the land… Surely—"

"—my aid is not arguing with me about where they need to be brought before we let them rest," the noble interrupted and corrected all at once. Properly mollified, the servant scurried out of the office and towards the courtyard.

Once free from the watching eyes, Irian leisurely stood up from behind his desk and approached the window that overlooked the castle's main yard. There, the three dragons were unmistakable, the familiar deep blue and crimson of Saphira and Thorn, but also a silvery green that was unfamiliar to the soon-to-be king. "The new dragon…" he murmured, his eyes looking around. He found Eragon and Murtagh near each other, one with his travel bags already over his shoulder, the other arguing with a wisp of a girl, his bags over his shoulder as he reached for hers, much to her annoyance. "And there is the new rider…" he noted, waiting. Soon enough, his servant arrived, and she turned to look at him, giving Murtagh time to sweep her bag to join his before she could protest further. It also gave the man watching from the window the chance he needed to see her face for the first time. Irian's lips curved into a proud smile. "Yes, a lovely queen you will be, my dear… Quite a lovely queen indeed…"

*****

Amy wearily climbed up the stairs behind both her love and her annoyance. She was more exhausted than either of them, not having had a war to get her used to the constant moving around they had been doing since they left elf lands. She was still in her dirty travel clothes, the varying shades of brown in shirt, tunic, leggings, and boots thankfully not showing how hard the ride really had been, and about to meet her first human monarch. Brushing a stray curl out of her face from where they mutinously fought the braid she had thrown it in early that morning, she couldn't help the dark thoughts that crossed her mind.

_Relax, little one,_ Jadia tried to assure her Rider, _This king knows you are fresh from travels, he will not look down on you._

_First impressions matter_, was all the tired girl responded with, unable to even keep a mental conversation going at this point. Every muscle in her body felt like it would never stop hurting, except for her thighs which had long since gone numb. She stumbled more than once climbing these cursed stairs (though thankfully they weren't anywhere near as steep as the ones in her tree house), grumbling under her breath each time as she managed to right herself before she fell back down them again.

Slowing down slightly till he was beside Amy, Murtagh assured her with a whispered comment, "I'm sure we will be allowed to rest after this meeting, Amy. It must be important, or he wouldn't have demanded our immediate attention."

"I understand… Master Murtagh," she responded. Both grimanced at the title she had been firmly told by Oromis she had to use for the men outside of the elves' haven. Technically, she hadn't been declared a full Rider, and with no one outside of Ellesméra knowing of Oromis or Glaedr, it would be assumed the two brothers were teaching her and she must show her respect as such.

That didn't mean either Amy or Murtagh had to like it.

It was a shared sigh of relief when they reached the landing that the servant indicated the king-to-be kept his offices on. Amy was being prodded frequently by Murtagh, her legs about to give out underneath her.

The aid insisted on announcing them formally. Once inside the rather expanse office, both men bowed their heads respectfully, Amy following a half-beat later. The man she saw in front of her immediately reminded her of Jesse, making her fight the urge to sneer. Instead, she took the seat offered to her when Murtagh declined his and suggested Amy have it instead. He leaned on the back of it slightly, showing some of his own exhaustion; she had no way to comfort him, not with those eyes watching her.

"So you are the one I have heard of, Apprentice Archer," Irian said smoothly, "I have heard you called the Lady Rider, the Jade Eyed One, and many other names in the rumors that reached us, but I have never been told your given name."

"Amalthia," she told him coldly, not bothering to tell him that she rarely went by it.

He drawled her name back to her as if to be sure of the pronunciation; Amy could have told either of the male Riders he was actually flirting. "It is a lovely name," he conceded, smirking at her as if he were actually very clever in his subtle flirting. She made sure to keep her face smooth, with no flush. Leading this man on would not be beneficial to her health, mental or physical.

"Is this all that you required of us, Lord Irian?" Eragon questioned, the polite words strained by his own exhaustion and exasperance. It was clear that there would be choice words if this man kept the three travelers from bed just to make Amy's acquaintance.

"No," Irian admitted, finally turning his attention away from the auburn haired female who was more beautiful up close than she had been far away, "There is another reason, of course." He glanced at Amy again and she resisted the urge to snap at him, barely. "As I'm sure you are aware, Sudra has been existing independently since the overthrow of the Empire. However, my nobles rightly complain over blue Dragon Rider's bond to the current queen of the Broddring—"

"I terminated that bond when she took the throne," Eragon corrected, obviously not willing to deal with political games at this hour.

Irian blinked slowly, but otherwise showed no distress. "The point remains that my nobles, and myself, would like a bond with a more permanent and orderly nature with the Dragon Riders."

Amy leaned her chin on her knuckles in relaxed amusement, a forced stance. "Which, I may remind you, undermines the purpose of the Dragon Riders. We are to remain neutral and unbound to any one nation. I've been rubbing that particular ideal in Master Eragon's nose for the last few months, so I am quite familiar with it." Irian stared at her, obviously not expect that response. "However, Master Eragon has managed to work himself into a nice little pen where he is technically bound to every race in some manner or form, so I can't exactly say he plays favorites, can I? Thankfully, Master Murtagh and I have decided to remain outside of all this complexities, so we hold true to our inheritance from the golden age. But that is all beside the point, which is that you want sovereignty over the Riders, an act that is quite neatly impossible for two reasons. One, the dragons have their say in all of this and they are rather particular about who they, and thus their Riders, take orders from. And two, we will live much longer than you, and how can you exactly have rule over us when your time has come and yet we haven't changed much at all?"

The mortal man blinked again, and Murtagh and Eragon both resisted the urge to smile proudly; Amy had just neatly played the same political game as Irian and trapped him in a corner.

Finally, Irian cleared his throat and said, "Well, Apprentice Archer has a point, but I must remind you that despite oaths and blood, technically Eragon Shadeslayer is attached to the elves and dwarves far more intimately than to his own race. His wife is an elf, his son half, and he has been adopted into the ruling clan of the dwarves. Bonds of family sometimes overwhelm the more logical, political bindings."

"His cousin is human," Amy pointed out, but a frown tugged at her mouth. _I hate it when assholes are right…_

"But they are not close, not as close as they once were," Irian added, a smug smile tugging at his own mouth at her frown, "I am merely suggesting that a similar bond be made between a Rider and a noble from Sudra as there is between Eragon and the elves."

Murtagh looked at him blankly for a moment, and then shook his head. "A marriage contract…?" he voiced the request in disbelief, understandably so. A Rider lived forever, unless killed by wounds or poison. Even if Amy and Murtagh weren't theoretically bound to each other already, one of them in such a contract would only grow to care for someone, face bitterness about not aging while their partner did, and finally put a spouse into the ground, a painful experience neither wanted to experience.

"Your apprentice is quite lovely, Crimson Rider," Irian said silkily, pointedly making eye contact with Amy and misreading her as naïvely startled, not enraged and frightened. "Any of my noblemen would be happy with her for a bride… Myself, included…"

_Amy…_ Jadia's warning growl in her head was all that kept her from shrieking indignantly at him. _He's a stupid, arrogant man who degrades the Riders and I still wouldn't wish your issues on him. Murtagh won't let him have you either, he's a possessive little bugger and you know that. So stay calm._

_I hope they put you next door to Thorn and he overhears your dreams,_ Rider snarled back at dragon, but the teenage girl kept her temper under control for now. The same could not be said for Murtagh. She could hear the wood of her chair starting to crack under the force he was putting on it to keep his hands from strangling Irian instead.

"You have laid quite an… interesting proposal in front of us, sir," she said hurriedly, standing up quickly and regretting it when her legs protested. "Please, let us get through the rather difficult day tomorrow and we shall continue this conversation at a more leisurely time and place."

"Of course, dear child," he conceded, much to her relief. She hurried both Eragon and Murtagh out of the room before any of them lost their tempers.

Instead of saying anything, once they were safely out of the sight of Irian and his servants, Murtagh pulled Amy into a fierce embrace. "He shall not have you," he hissed in her ear. It was exactly what she needed to hear, as she held on to him desperately. Eragon could only look on and wonder what Irian was planning.

*****

The next day, Murtagh shifted impatiently outside of Amy's door. The funeral had just finished, and she had insisted on changing from the cloying funeral garb that Arya had insisted was the only thing proper for her to wear and change into a more mobile dress for the large gathering Irian was hosting. Now, he was stuck waiting. He hadn't bothered changing, dressed entire in his finest black clothing except for the crimson shirt he wore. Eragon, when he last saw him, had looked similar, just slightly different with his shirt being black and his tunic navy blue. The splashes of color were the only thing of rank any of them had other than their weapons, and briefly Murtagh worried about Amy.

Her door finally creaked open, and he turned to reprimand her. He found himself starting instead.

Amy's dress was the knee-length she preferred, made of a sheer black fabric. It was layered many times over on the bodice and skirt, though the sleeves and her collar were left with one single layer that did little to hide her flesh. Those sheer sleeves left her shoulders bare, though they were fitted till her elbows where they flared. Emerald green ribbons trimmed the collar and sleeves, even forming a sort of second sleeve by working as a strap that slipped right over the curve of her shoulders. Dark gray leggings covered her legs till her knees where black formal boots took over. She wore no jewelry other than a pair of simple onyx earrings that Arya had loaned to her for the day, though some faint lines under those gauzy sleeves would look like arm rings to anyone else. He knew those were actually her daggers, artfully hidden. Her hair was in a traditional female warrior style, a sort of braided bun, but she had been a little daring and tied a thick green ribbon around the ends to form a bow at the base of her skull. Unlike her usually brown-and-violet themed make-up, she instead shifted to a smokier violet and black. Overall, she looked lovely.

She smiled at him, and he offered his arm. She held up her finger, a wicked smile on her face. Blinking, he watched as she slowly turned around, showing him the back of her dress. The green ribbons around her shoulders and upper arms crisscrossed over her shoulder blades neatly, the rest of her back bare. Green ribbons lined the edges of the fabric that skirted her back down to the small of her waist, where they crisscrossed again though still hemming the very bottom of the U-shape.

His mouth was completely dry when she turned back around, and he realized it was because it was hanging open. Shutting it and swallowing thickly, he tried to scowl at her as she laughed in wicked delight. "Aren't we trying to _dissuade_ Irian, not seduce him?" he tried to reprimand her.

"It's for your enjoyment, not his," she corrected him, curving her arm through his since he had forgotten to retract it. Her face was quite serious as she looked up at him. "I can't give you what I know you want and what any other girl could offer to you already, Murtagh," she murmured to him, "At least let me give you what I can…"

He sighed, knowing he wouldn't win the argument he wanted to start. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and murmured back, "Your love is all that I want, Amy. Always."

Shaking her head and laughing, if a little forced, she said, "Let's go feed the sharks, love. Poor Eragon probably can't satisfy them much."

Chuckling at her odd expression, Murtagh nodded and began to lead her towards the ballroom. Neither of them felt ready to face what lay ahead, but both were ready to try.

**And there you go. All the big, important crap goes down in the next few chapters!**

**Obviously, the PhotoBucket account has been updated with Amy's dress and hairstyle. Check it out at:**

**_http:// s287. photobucket. com/ albums/ ll152/ EvaEmaria/ Jade20Eyes20Designs/ (_as always, just remove the spaces, or if you would rather, hop over to my bio where there is a link)**

**My big important note mentioned before:**

**There is going to be a pseudo-sequel to ****Eyes of Jade**** titled ****Lost Royals Volume III: Eyes of Ceylon Sapphire****. **

**I call it a pseudo-sequel cause it follows Amy's twin sister, Lyn (you'll get why later, promise), rather than this couple. It will take place in a different series than Inheritance, you'll find it under Books, Tamora Pierce on this site. That being said, it is obviously working in as part of another series of mine, the Lost Royals series. The first in the series, ****Lost Royals Volume I: Mountain Skies**** is written to the half-way point and, with solid work after this story is complete, it should be posting soon. The second in the series, ****Lost Royals Volume II: Daughter of the Sun****, is planned out, just not written beyond the rough draft, while the third volume hasn't been planned out very well yet. I HIGHLY suggest reading all of the Lost Royals series rather than skipping till the third volume when it posts, even if you aren't a fan of Tamora Pierce's works and haven't read them (which you should, I think she is one of the queens of the genre, but that's me). I leave major hints of what is going to happen in the following stories in each one, and you may pick up on one that excites you, who knows? There will be cameo appearances by Murtagh, Thorn, Amy, and Jadia in the third volume that take place after time has passed at the end of this story, so it's like you'll get an update in their lives, so I hope you keep an eye out for this new story once I wrap this one up! **

**If enough people ask after this story is finished, I may post an update so you all will be aware of when the story goes up so you can track it. Also, info on any of my stories can always be found on my bio page.**

**And as one last note, WE BUSTED 100 REVIEWS!!! (throws confetti) I've never done that before! You guys are awesome!**


	19. Chapter 19

**God this is so short… But it's the plan, so I have no choice. Bleh. Okay, so dream is explained here… kinda… I won't explain everything till the last chapter. Three more to follow this… Maybe. I don't know. The next chapter actually looks like what I have planned for the next three may all fit together, and if that's the case than I can just throw together an epilogue and end it… We'll see.**

**Disclaimer: This far in and you actually think I own something besides Amy…? I am so ashamed…**

Sipping his wine casually, Murtagh watched Amy debate magical techniques with Sudra's royal court's pet mages with a smile tugging at his mouth. Forced to spend most of the night away from her in lieu of the fact that no one outside of their group knew about their relationship, he was able to observe all the little facets of her that normally he was too close to see.

She twirled her hair when she was nervous.

She threw her head back when she laughed.

When she met someone she didn't really like, her face turned cold, though she still smiled.

"You know, you are making it quite hard for them to politely not notice that you two are in some sort of relationship," Eragon murmured from his place beside him. Murtagh ignored his younger half-brother and instead shamelessly eavesdropped on Amy's conversation.

"Oh no, I'm afraid I'm horrible at combat," she admitted (falsely, he mentally added, she was quite handy with a dagger now, though her use of a bow could use work), a teasingly coy smile on her face. His jealousy didn't surge, he knew the mage she spoke to had taken a vow of celibacy rather than participate in what Sudra considered a vile practice, loving one's own gender. She continued, seemingly naïve of his overhearing her, "I have to leave that to Master Murtagh. No, I'm the magician of the three of us, I admit."

"Really? How interesting," the woman beside the celibate mage drawled. A novice magician, if that, Murtagh could tell she was annoyed with her master's interest in the female Rider. "What have you learned?"

Amy smiled back, just as sweet as a slice of fruit. "Rider vow of secrecy, I'm afraid."

"Oh? Such a shame… though I image you can't work more than a scrying spell…" the woman mocked, making Murtagh and Amy both bristle at her implications.

"Actually, scrying is the only way I can see my homeland and loved ones anymore," Amy shot back, "It was one of the first spells I perfected."

"Really? Is your home really so far away?"

The female Rider's face stilled and took on a curious look that took Murtagh a few moments to recognize as a mix between pain and understanding. "So far away I can never hope to return, even on dragonback," she murmured in response, her hands reflexively fisting and releasing. This caused those listening to perk up, curious about Amy's homeland. She hadn't said much beyond what the others already knew, and what Jadia had told Murtagh when he wanted to apologize. To be so far away that even a dragon couldn't get her there…

"Well, I would like to see such a land!" the male mage exclaimed, obviously excited at this opportunity.

"As would I. Any place that lets their females run around in such… interesting… apparel must be examined closely," his apprentice added with a sniff, her dislike of Amy's short skirt and backless dress obvious.

The female Rider hesitated, even as the mage commanded for his large mirror to be brought forth. "There's no guarantee that anyone will be there except for my father…" she murmured, "And the place he is in right now isn't exactly pleasant."

"Are you frightened?" the woman cooed, making Amy scowl at her.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," was the response.

The mirror was brought forth, a large piece that's gold and bronze frame border-lined on gaudy, and the nobles twittered as Amy stood in front of it. Resting her hand that bore the gedwëy ignasia on it just over the surface of the polished glass-like substance, she softly murmured, "Draumr kópa."

The glass and what it reflected seemed to ripple for a moment, and then it began to twist into whatever Amy was focusing on. Powder blue walls and white tiled floors appeared, featuring an open window. However, the odd bed was made…and therefore completely empty.

Amy's hand shook, and she murmured weakly, "He's not there… Why isn't he there…?"

"Amy?" Murtagh said, coming to rest his hands gently on her shoulders. The heavy warmth of his hands gave her a center, and she was able to stop shaking. "Think now. Where would he be if he isn't here?"

"If the hospital released him… Maybe home…" she responded shallowly. He could tell he had just taken the edge off of her panic. It would flare up if they didn't find her father quickly. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The vision in the mirror rippled and changed. The resulting room was odd to those viewing it. No furniture or knickknacks filled the space, the walls somehow painted beige with perfect, fine and faded navy blue and red lines spaced apart varying distances. Amy started shaking again when she viewed it, eyes wide. They narrowed as a strange woman entered the room, and she hissed like a startled snake.

"Amy?" It was Eragon who spoke up this time, joining her and Murtagh.

"What the hell is that bitch doing there?" she hissed instead of responding. The half-brothers exchanged startled looks. They had been making efforts to clean up Amy's mouth and had seemed to succeed, but this stranger had her so angry she couldn't even care anymore.

At least in her late thirties if not older, her dark brown hair, twisted up elegantly in the back of her head, was obviously dyed to hide the grays that no doubt were appearing already, the hue very similar to the female Rider's. Her skin was just as pale as the girl's as well. It was her eyes that were the biggest clue that they were related. While there was no gray in them, fact remained they were a true green, set in a face remarkable similar to the girl's. She was dressed just as oddly as Amy sometimes did, in a form-fitting skirt of a course material dyed brown-speckled that clung to her legs till it reached her knees, a split in the back making it possible at all for her to move and a deep violet silk blouse, her shoes little more than brown leather straps with an impossibly high heel. A cream fur coat was draped over her arm, the same hand holding a pair of brown leather gloves, a sparkling violet clutch tucked under her arm. Diamonds sparkled from her neck, earlobes, and many of her fingers.

"Such a shame…" the woman unexpectedly murmured, her voice carrying through the vision, "I wasted so much time here…"

"Then why the hell do you come back?" Amy asked snarkily, though she knew she couldn't hear. "Gah, worst mother ever. I have horrid luck… I want your mother, at least she cared about you two," she muttered when Murtagh squeezed her shoulder warningly.

"Mother?" Eragon asked as if to confirm, looking at the woman again, "The one that left when you were six?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Trashy tramp… Only comes around when she thinks she'll get something out of it…" the young girl answered in disgust, "I'm surprised Dad let her into the house… which begs the question as to where all the furniture is. That's the living room, and we tried to keep it decent."

Before either Rider could supply a gander, the woman spoke up again. "I can't believe that fool never changed his will, even after I left…" she mused aloud, running a hand over the wallpaper.

"Will… No…" Amy breathed brokenly.

"What's wrong?" Murtagh asked urgently. Her eyes stayed trained on the mirror as she shifted the vision again.

This time it was obviously outdoors, somewhere where grass was attempting to grow in red earth. Large stone markers, some with flowers set at the bases, said what this place was, a cemetery. It had zeroed in on the oddest looking pair anyone had ever seen.

One of the two was in baggy black pants that almost completely covered the shoes on his feet, chains tangling from all over the place. A red shirt with some sort of saying was kept covered up by a knee-length coat. His skin was unnaturally white around his face, his eyes lined heavily with black eye liner and his lips painted pure black, his hair continuing the color scheme. His partner was dressed similarly, though his hair was blonde with the tips dyed unnaturally red.

The dark haired one set a bouquet of flowers at the base of one of the tombstones. "Hard to believe it's been a six months…" he murmured.

"Hard to believe it happened at all… What are the chances?" the other rhetorically asked as he stood up, "One dies from suicide, the other follows in a car accident not long after, taking their father with her…"

"A whole family almost completely wiped out in only a month. It's hard to believe."

The blonde squeezed the darker hued one's shoulder comfortingly. "Amy wouldn't want us moping around, now would she? Come on, let's go."

As the pair left, the tombstones came into view. Charles Archer… Evangeline Archer… Amalthia Archer…

The mirror went completely blank.

Swallowing thickly, Amy tried to stay standing. "My father's dead… And so am I?" she half stated, half asked in disbelief. Murtagh was forced to wrap his arms around her waist to keep her from painfully hitting the ground as she began to cry.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey, I have an update! What do you know? I'm capable of writing after all... You'll be happy to know this ISN'T the last chapter, there will indeed be one more.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than a stack of clothes, a new cowboy hat, and a set of playing cards, so go away!**

_Swallowing thickly, Amy tried to stay standing. "My father's dead… And so am I?" she half stated, half asked in disbelief. Murtagh was forced to wrap his arms around her waist to keep her from painfully hitting the ground as she began to cry._

"How?" she questioned as her tears slowed, "How can I be dead and still be here?"

"It's alright, Amy… We'll figure it out," Murtagh soothed gently, helping her back onto her feet once he felt her strength begin to return.

"Well, this is quite the conundrum," a smooth voice said from behind the Riders. Murtagh and Eragon turned their heads to glower as the newly crowned king of Sudra approached them. "Really, I didn't know a ghost was visiting."

"Asshole," Amy hissed, too upset to keep her temper, "Have you shame? Or is your ego so large, it's choking everything else? I just found out my father is dead and you are making jokes. Just because you are incapable of mourning your cousin, don't take it out on me!"

"Amy!" Eragon warned softly, but it was too late. Irian's face was livid.

"I miss my cousin quite dearly, I will have you know," he said softly, dangerously.

However, the teenager was too distraught to listen as Murtagh tried to shush her. "Then that's why I heard you planning to have me wed to you before the next moon cycle," she sneered, obviously unimpressed.

"Enough!" the man barked, "I don't have to listen to this. I will forgive you, _Lady Rider Archer_, for your insults to my person because of your grief and obvious emotional unrest. That being said, I suggest one of your masters return you to your room for the night."

Murtagh, already with Amy in his arms, decided to listen to the monarch this time. Sweeping her up into his hold, in what she mockingly recalled as being bridal style, he nodded his head to both Irian and Eragon before leaving the room.

Eragon bowed as lowly as would be considered appropriate. "Your Majesty was kind to pardon Amy's outburst," he said congenially, "I assure you, she will be spoken to about her temper."

Irian nodded stoically, obviously still annoyed but understanding that there was nothing politically that he could do anymore. He turned back to his other guests, feathers still ruffled, and many of the court ladies took the chance to try and sooth him.

As Eragon was leaving to join his fellow Riders, he noticed an archer hiding in the shadows. _The new king's protective detail,_ he noted, _most likely supplemented with members of Irian's private troops. _It was a careless glance at the quiver that alerted him to the foul under current in Sudra.

_Those fletchings…_ Eragon noted, shock overtaking him and making his steps hesitate. His mind instantly recalled the arrows shot at him, Saphira, and Amy months ago. The fletchings on the arrow removed from his shoulder had been of a design no one in the elf kingdom had recognized. _Of course, we don't know all the fletching designs for all the nobles in both countries, _the first of the new Riders recalled with disgust, annoyed at his own short-sightedness as he quickened his steps again.

_We can't know everything, _Saphira dryly commented, _or people would really be frightened of us. Quit bullying yourself and hurry to the others. We six need to plan, and quickly. If Sudra is making "Join or die" threats to the Riders, the other representatives need told, including Arya, so the other countries can take action of some sort._

_I know, I know… _Eragon assured her as he began the climb to the wing assigned to the three pairs where dragons and Riders could all be together.

Once Murtagh had safely deposited Amy on one of the three beds situated in the large, oval room, he stood up fully and crossed his arms, a scowl on his face. "Do you realize the politically ramnifications of what you just did?" he asked coolly.

"Do you realize what a pompous, high-handed ass you sound like?" she shot back, "I'm not really your student, Murtagh, so don't start treating me like I am."

"No, but you aren't a full-fledged Rider yet either, so cut the back talk. You could have gotten all three of us killed, Amy!" he snapped at her, frustrated with this attitude that he thought went away.

"Like the dragons would have allowed that. For the record, Jadia says Thorn wanted to take a bite of him too, but I don't see you scolding him. Or are you blocking him out to keep him from appealing to your common sense?" she demanded as she stood up; she refused to talk up to him anymore.

Murtagh floundered, unable to believe she had said something like that to him… Of course he wasn't blocking out Thorn, the red dragon simply rarely said anything.

Amy glared at him, obviously not willing to give an inch. "You just found out your girlfriend's been dead for over a year, Murtagh, yet I'm not seeing much of a reaction," she said scathingly.

_She's upset about that,_ Thorn finally spoke up, _so she is hitting below the belt to try and get a reaction out of you. She thinks you don't care. Or at least, that's Jadia's take on things. _Belatedly, he added, _Sometimes I don't say anything because I know it will only go in one ear and out the other, and I don't like wasting my time._

That made him feel guilty. Murtagh hadn't realized how high-handed he had… _Oh hell_. He sighed in frustration as he realized that whether she was baiting him or not, Amy had a point. Sighing in annoyance at himself, he held up his hands in surrender to placate her. "You're right…" he said softly soothingly. "I have been being an ass. That being said, you shouldn't be baiting me for a reaction either." When she stiffened, indignant, he took the chance to pull her into his embrace.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, her voice muffled as she tried to squirm free.

"Making you listen, and assuring myself that you're here, safe, with me," he told her, resting one of his hands on the back of her head to keep it tucked under his chin. "Your friends and mother are so sure of your death, and apparently even had a body to bury. Is that so wrong, for me to want to make sure you are really here?"

"Murtagh…" she breathed, clinging to his shirt fearfully.

He continued to speak softly, recognizing the need to be quiet and constant in the wake of her violent and unpredictable temper, "It is nothing short of a miracle that you are here, in my arms," he reminded her, "Whether you believe in a god or not is irrelevant to that fact. It only makes me appreciate you more."

He felt her relief, as she opened her mind to him and clung to him tightly. The emotional backlash wasn't as overwhelming as he expected, and he held her close just as tightly as she did with him, doing everything he could to assure her he was real, they were together.

_I hate to ruin this, but we really need to have a chat, _Jadia said dryly in both Riders' minds.

_Leave us alone for a handful more minutes, sulfur breath, or I'm blabbing to Thorn, _Amy threatened. Murtagh could tell the jade green dragon's presence hadn't faded a bit. Thorn's connection with his Rider strengthened in response, and Murtagh could feel his dragon's curiosity. _Thorn, you know those pretty stones you've been leaving for Jadia that she told you she gives away?_ the female Rider thought sweetly, ignoring her dragon's mental growl in warning.

In response, Murtagh was stunned. _She keeps them? _he thought in amazement, _She actually kept them? I thought you were only sending her opals…_

_I was. _Apparently, the crimson dragon was just as shocked as his Rider. Both dragons retreated from their connection, just as Amy finally registered where they were, out in the nearby wilds hunting.

The man chuckled and held on to his love carefully, "I take it that Jadia has been clinging to those opals?"

"Like I hang on to your jewelry," she confided, "She just didn't want to give in. She's stubborn."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Murtagh teased. Amy's answering laugh held a slightly hysterically edge, but it was a laugh.

"I'm not sure if I'm too surprised to find you two laughing." Eragon's dry assessment drew their attention away from each other. The pair smiled at him slightly, but he didn't return it. Instead, he collapsed into the nearby desk chair. _We are in trouble…_ he told them grimly, and related what he had found in the ballroom after they left.

Recognizing the need to not be overheard, Murtagh answered mind-to-mind, _I assume Saphira is talking to Arya, who will relay to the other delegates._

_Yes. She isn't exactly… calm… at Irian's nerve._

_Don't blame her, _Amy butted in. _The guy is determined to play Russian roulette with politics. _Both men winced at the image that accompanied her odd term. _So what do we do now?_

Eragon and Murtagh didn't even have to think about that one. _Wait, that's what we do. We smile and be pleasant, despite their nastiness. We make sure we don't react to any of his prods, we agree to nothing._

The trio shared looks and sighed. What was supposed to be a simple trip had no escalated to something much darker.

**Weird ending, but meh. Okay, so next up is indeed the last chapter, with the epilogue to follow. (runs off to cry)**


	21. Chapter 21

**There is something horribly symolic about this... I'm going to wrap up this story at the same time I'm completing my first year of college.**

**That's right, this is the last chapter. I'll post the epilogue this Friday or next. Which Friday it is... Well, that depends on the reviews, now doesn't it?**

**Disclaimer: For the second to last time, I don't own Inheritance! I also don't own something else that I'm adding the name of in the end note...**

Amy sat up in her bed three nights later, unable to sleep. It was there last day in Sudra. Tomorrow, they left to the temporary home of the Riders, which also happened to be the elfish capital. She, for one, was ecstatic. No more slinking around, trying to avoid creepy kings. No more whispering, annoying as hell, human magicians…

_An older dragon around to teach a certain pain-in-the-ass dragon how to make better damn shields! _Amy glared at the ceiling since her dragon wasn't in sight.

Jadia had the decency to send a wave of guilt back to her Rider after the rather pointed thought. Since Thorn finally gained enough backbone not to step back after her show of hissing at him to confront her about the opals, the pair had been as inseparable as Amy and Murtagh. The only problem had been the youngest dragon wasn't very good at blocking out her Rider, which resulted in Amy learning more than she needed to know.

Sighing, Amy stood, tugging down her pale aqua blue silk camisole from where it had ridden up as her matching pants did so on their own. Her hair was a rumbled mess down her back from her restless sleep. Ignoring it, since it would take an hour to get it to behave, she instead sneaked past the beds of her fellow Riders, pausing in front of the full-length mirror left in their room. Her reflection showed just how much this trip had worn on her; she had lost a lot of weight, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"You look like hell…" she muttered at the reflective surface, only to gasp as the reflection rippled. Briefly, she caught sight of a woman in what she recognized as a Japanese kimono, her dark hair insanely long and loose.

_Come down and see me…_

The voice echoed through Amy's mind. Ignoring any instinct she had not to listen, she scurried out of the room, barefoot and in her pajamas.

"Where are you…?" she asked softly out loud when she reached the bottom of the stairs that connected the Riders' wing to the rest of the castle. Another thought probe, this one wordless, led her to the ballroom, where the cursed gaudy mirror still was after that night.

Cautiously, Amy approached the mirror that had told her more than she wanted to know, only to gasp. Her own reflection… wasn't there.

Instead, a beautiful woman, tall and graceful, like a willow tree, stood in front of her. There was the butterfly-like kimono Amy saw in the other mirror, and like she thought, the woman's dark hair fell down her back completely straight, the length insane. Ruby red eyes filled with so much wisdom looked down at her, a gentle but sad smile on her face.

_So… This is another of Fei Wang Reed's ripples…_

Despite the woman's mouth moving, Amy knew she heard her words inside her mind.

"Fei Wang Reed…? Ripples?" Amy asked instead of the obvious "Who the hell are you and where is my reflection?" question.

_Don't worry. Your reflection will return to normal soon. _Apparently asking wasn't needed as the woman smiled. _I am Yuuko. I am known as the Time and Space Witch. Fei Wang Reed… is a man, a magician, with a wish he wants granted. However, the wish he has is taboo. That does not stop him. Instead, he intends to force what was once taboo to be available to him. The worlds around the one he has housed himself, and the ones he has manipulated and those around them, are being truly distorted. However, world around the edges are feeling ripples of his magic. These ripples alter time, and can alter space as well._

Amy swallowed thickly before whispering, "I am supposed to be dead… Is that ripple why I am here?"

_The ripple affected this world at the same time as it affected yours. _Yuuko confirmed Amy's suspicion as her eyes drifted closed before opening only half way, the ruby depths dark. _In this world, a man lost his beloved partner, and was twisted mad by it. It caused the destruction of an entire race, except for five._

"The dragons…"

_Yes. During these dark times, your other self died as well._

Amy blinked, now lost. "My other self?"

Yuuko smiled and opened her eyes all the way again. _Yes. In every world, there is a version of you. They may not all appear the same or have the same personality, but they are all there. Your self here was a remarkable person… One of the few Lady Riders, who rode a light green dragon that matched the woman's eye color almost exactly, she was quite important. The former leader of the Riders…he had a brother, elder, who was also a Rider. She was that man's wife._

Amy covered her mouth as she realized all the similarities to the current time. Yuuko nodded as she said, _Time adjusted itself, and to do so it brought forth those similar to those who had been denied their destinies. However, there was no female here suited to replace the Lady Rider Guinevere. Instead, in your world, the ripple hit slowly because of the way time flowed. It sent twin girls, both who were on their death beds, into worlds that needed them far more._

"Twin girls… Lyn and I…" the female Rider gasped out as she realized exactly what the woman was saying. Before she fell, she rapidly folded her legs underneath her, kneeling on the floor. "We… We were brought to worlds that needed us… She's… She's alive too…" Tears began to fall down her face, though she was unsure whether she was happy, sad, or angry.

_Yes. She too had somewhere she was needed. Together, the Archer twins can do so much more than they can together… Do you resent Time for separating you?_

"…No… Not really. We've been apart so long now, it doesn't hurt so badly…" Amy admitted. "But I would like to see her, if I could."

_If that is your wish, you must pay for it._

"Pay…?" Amy twisted this around, and her stubborn nature asserted itself. "My wish is to know how to search, unobtrusively, through other worlds for my sister. What is the price?"

_Clever girl._ Yuuko's smile gained a cynical edge. _Few realize that the best wishes you have to work for. Yes, I will grant this wish. In return, I ask for another kind of knowledge. Your music._

Amy choked on her next breath of air, her eyes wide.

_Not everything, child. Just of something. You have such a vast collection… Surely there is something you love, yet wouldn't miss?_

Right then, Amy knew what to do. "My piano," she said with surety, "Take my knowledge of the piano."

Yuuko smiled and raised her hand. Music notes, the sound of Mozart, filled the room, even as physical representations floated from Amy's chest, just over her heart, to Yuuko's hand in the reflection. _I accept your payment, and in return give you this: knowledge of space._

A butterfly formed where there were once musical notes in Yuuko's palm, and it fluttered to Amy's chest. She carefully pressed its wings against her bare skin, and it absorbed into her. Over her left collarbone, a patch of skin became darker, in a complex outline of a butterfly.

_You have great things ahead of you, Lady Rider. Do not worry about Fei Wang Reed. Others are in place to face that force, and you are no match for him._

Amy reluctantly nodded. As much as she wanted to rip the man that sent her away a new one, she appreciated where she was at. Slowly, she watched her reflection return to normal. However, the Time and Space Witch apparently wasn't finished speaking yet.

_A piece of advice, Amalthia. Get yourself and all the other dignitaries out of Sudra. Time is about to take another spin in that world._

Eyes wide, the female Rider didn't have to be told twice. Being as quiet as possible, she scurried back to the Rider's wing. Inside, both men were asleep. Wiggling her lower lip, Amy muttered, "Screw it," and began to pack her own things, reaching for Jadia in the process.

The three dragons took Amy's news with little argument, though Jadia didn't hesitate to chew out her Rider for going somewhere dangerous on her own. The older two dragons woke their Riders and relayed the information. Eragon sat up in bed right away, looking at Amy in slack jawed wonder as she finished adjusting her tunic. Murtagh didn't even stay in bed; he immediately lurched to his feet and pulled Amy roughly into his arms. "Don't ever, ever do that again," he hissed.

"I can't if you smother me, or if we don't hightail it out of here," she mumbled back.

"Arya has the others ready to leave," Eragon interrupted, keeping his voice soft as he proceeded to dress as well. "She's having a couple of the elves suit up the dragons in their lighter saddles while we get out of here are. They will fly up as soon as they are ready. The heavier saddles are already loaded in wagons."

"We grab what we have to have," Amy muttered at them both. "Leave behind fine clothing and the like, it can be replaced. Just grab weapons and anything magical that could be used against us. All correspondence, too. I don't want our letters aired out for everyone to see."

Murtagh was silent, stuffing pillows under the blankets. When he felt Amy's eyes on him, he turned to look at her. "What?" he whisper-yelled.

"That is so not going to work…" she muttered back at him.

"It will delay them," he hissed back.

They glared at each other before Amy huffed and finished her packing. She began to rock back and forth impatiently on the balls of her feet, waiting on the two men to hurry it up (and they joked about women taking forever, honestly) and for the dragons to arrive.

The loud thumps on the landing alerted Amy to one dragon. Scurrying outside, she was slightly disappointed to see Thorn. However, he wasn't. _We are taking you as you are ready. Jadia can take Eragon, she's sure of it, and Saphira can handle Murtagh. You're on me._

_Right. How? _Amy said, eyeing him skeptically. _I'm not that tall…_

Rolling his eyes good naturedly, the dragon knelt down, bringing him much closer to Amy's reach. She snapped the pack on her shoulders over onto the lightweight saddle. Just as she was buckling herself into place, Murtagh came out, his own pack not quite fastened shut yet. He obviously was in on the dragons' plan to take different Riders than normal. "Please…" he said softly, begging, "Please keep each other safe."

"Be safe yourself, dear heart…" she murmured back leaning down. He reached up and tangled his hand in her still wild hair, pressing his mouth fiercely against hers. It was panicked and frightened, but all they had time for. They had to get out of there, fast.

Thorn was the one who ripped them apart, taking a few steps forward before launching himself into the air. Behind her, Amy heard Saphira take his place.

_They will be alright. _Jadia tried to assure her Rider, but Amy's hands flexed around the leather under her hands all the same.

The unlikely duo received word when Saphira and Murtagh took off. It was when Jadia had just take flight that the news hit the guard that not only were all the delegates gone, but dragons were in the sky.

Through Jadia, Amy heard the clatter of steel on stone, just as silver claws released stone underneath them to take to the air. _We'll make it, focus on getting yourself safe! _the littlest female ordered her Rider. Reluctantly, the human female kept her focus on her surroundings. She and Thorn had just passed over the outer wall of the city when the guards obviously heard the news and received orders.

Whistles filled the air.

_Hold on! _Thorn ordered, and instantly began aerial maneuvers that made Amy's teeth rattle. She was instantly missing Jadia's smaller and more flexible stature.

Luck was with them, perhaps because of Yuuko. Amy was relieved when Thorn crested to a stop at the rendezvous point with the other delegates. Arya was worriedly watching the horizon, and she started to see the human girl astride the red dragon.

"We switched mounts," she explained as she hurriedly unbuckled, "Just till we got here. Eragon is on Jadia, Murtagh on Saphira."

"Are the others right behind you?"

"Saphira had already left and Jadia was taking off just as they received word we were gone."

Both women shared deep breaths, and then began to watch the skies together. Little Brom tottered over, holding on to the edge of Amy's tunic and Arya's dress. There were shared exhalations as Saphira appeared, landing beside Thorn. Murtagh hurried dismounted as Saphira joined Arya in her watch for Eragon. The two Riders shared a brief embrace before Amy worriedly turned her gaze on to the horizon once more.

"They'll be here," Murtagh assured her, resting his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. She nodded silently, too focused on her dragon to respond verbally.

_I can't lose her… Please God, I can't…_ Amy mentally begged.

_Fiery Pain. Roar of outrage. Shouts of anger._

_Black._

"AMY!" Murtagh caught his love as she fainted, as everyone's faces turned ashen with worry. Could it be…?

**That's right, cliffhanger! Epilogue wraps it all up... So hurry me along now!**

**The other thing I don't own: xxxHolic and Yuuko. That's CLAMP's.**


	22. Epilogue

**I had better get much love for this…**

**Yes, you are reading right, I'M POSTING ON A TUESDAY!**

**This, my friends, is a reward for making **_**Eyes of Jade **_**my most successful story ever. You all are awesome. That being said, don't be deceived by the word length. There's about two pages of story, a news update, and then the rest of it is a whole lot of shout outs to all of you that were brave and kind enough to drop me a review.**

**Disclaimer: (sniff) For the last time… I don't own! … (runs away crying her eyes out.) **

_Laughing as she twirled around elegantly on the ball of her foot, Amy held her other leg in perfect position, her hand in one of Murtagh's. The burgundy silk of her dress flowed like water around her, and he laughed with her, eyes shining and bright._

…_wait…_

_HE wasn't Murtagh, any more than this girl was Amy. The hair tickling her chin and nap of her neck told her this was no more her body than Jadia's. It felt similar, though, like a long forgotten friend…_

_Jadia…_

_There was no link to this body, but there was an absence. Like there had been one, once, only now the two were forever separated. It hurt, but the ache was becoming dull, like time had passed since the wound._

_The girl Amy was using stopped, raising her hand to rest it over her heart. "Is something wrong?" the man asked, moving to hold her gently by her elbows as others watching began to murmur._

"_My heart… It felt like someone was squeezing it, just now…" the low, clear melodic voice even sounded similar to Amy's. As she raised her head to look at her friend, Amy saw that this man wasn't her Murtagh, perhaps, but he was the same essence and looked similar, if a few years younger. "Lachern…"_

"_There are plenty of mages around, come. Let us speak to one of them, Lyn."_

Blinking, Amy found herself with her head in Murtagh's lap. Smiling at him, she whispered, "I found her."

He blinked back, trying to understand and failing. She winced, remembering that she had been keeping her search for Lyn secret. He immediately quirked his brow at her. "Found who?" he demanded, narrowing his eyes when she smiled at him quietly. "Amy, love, do not make me force it out of you…" he warned.

"Like you would dare," she taunted, sitting up and combing stray leaves, blades of glass, and Lord knows what else out of her hair with her fingers. "I really need to cut this…" she complained half-heartedly, "It's getting out of hand."

Murtagh chuckled and brought her into his lap, wrapping his arms loosely around her waist before he murmured against the flesh of her neck, "You know very well you'll never take a pair of shears to it, you love it too much…"

Amy shuddered, the heat of his breath on her neck making her forget even what she had just said. "Cheater," she accused. He just laughed softly, running his hands along her sides as if feeling the light cotton of her dress, the fabric's cut meant to hug in all the right places yet still loose and comfortable, the sleeves coming only to her elbows. The familiar heather gray boots and white leggings covered her legs and feet suitably for the spring day, though the square neckline left far too much exposed for the current situation, including the rose pendent she still wore after all these years, as he continued to tease her skin.

A rumbling growl to their right served as a distraction, making Amy erupt into giggles as Murtagh moved one of his hands to rub his shoulder, a pained expression on his face. "Having sympathy pains, love?" she teased.

"I wish Jadia would go for something other than the wing joint…" was his grumbled response, which only made her giggles worse.

"Amy! Please, come soothe your prickly dragon!" Eragon's shout finally helped her calm down, as Jadia's shriek of outrage soon followed.

"Gods, little brother never learns…" Murtagh laughed himself as he helped Amy up to her feet.

"Surviving a barrage of fire arrows apparently does not make the heart grow fonder," she quipped back as she began to walk from one secluded clearing to the next. Her thoughts were on the vision she had just had, thanks to Yuuko's power.

Sudra was an outcasted country after the attack on the precious Dragon Riders, and a rebellion has arisen not even a year after Irian took the throne. Thankfully, Oromis was keeping all three of his students out of it, as even now, over a decade later, it continued to relentlessly rage on. It left Amy free to search for her twin. After so long now, she was finally successful.

_Amy?_

Jadia's hesitant probe pulled Amy from her mental ramblings. _Sorry, love. So, what did Thorn do this time?_ Amy asked in amusement. _I'm not even going near Eragon's comment…_

_Did you not hear his next one about your weight?_

Murtagh paused as he saw his wife's eyes flash dangerously after watching her out of the corner of his eyes as she communicated to her dragon. Sighing, he ruefully agreed with Thorn; it was going to be a long six months…

**Do we have any guesses on what I'm ever-so strongly hinting at? I hope so, I feel like I'm being glaringly obvious…**

**Yes, that is the entire epilogue. I feel like I answered everything. If I didn't, now is the time to ask. There will be a guest appearance or two in the pseudo-sequel, remember, and I can answer questions there that aren't adequately done in here. Did anyone catch the name of who I'm pairing Lyn with…?**

**Yes, I have a pic for Amy's dress, it won't go up for a few days, and here is why:**

**REWARD! Yes, potential REWARD!**

**If you not only get what I'm so strongly hinting at during this chapter, but also know who (and not just the name, I mean who is he in Tamora Pierce's world) of who I'm pairing Lyn with and let me know in the review, you get… a sneak peek of The Lost Royals Volume I, which is currently at the half-way point, and hopefully (fingers crossed) will start its posting cycle in August at the latest.**

**Now, on to the acknowledgements, which I will update after the next batch of reviews if someone new pops in.**

**WARNING YOU ARE NOT FEATURED IF YOU ONLY ADDED THE STORY TO FAVS/ALERTS LIST, NOT ACTUALLY REVIEWING.**

**Blue-Eyed Chica****—God, darling, you've been with me since the first chapter, haven't you? Every update, without fail (or if there is fail, I'm ignoring it), I could look forward to seeing your review which would always make me smile. Thank you.**

**kitsmits****—That's right, I'm cruel and unusual. But thank you so much for taking the time to wade through twenty-odd chapters of fic.**

**-alaska-young-****—You, my dear, are a source of much-needed laughter after each chapter is posted, and I thank you for that as well as for taking the time to read.**

**Obsidian Thunder****—You've been around for quite a while too. Thanks for sticking with me through all the crazyness, I'm glad you were able to see it through to the end.**

**Aquaflame13****—Thanks for getting your voice out there, and for the support.**

**gymgurl****—It was wonderful to have someone love my characters as much as I do. Thank you.**

**crystal****—I'm glad this is one of your favorites. It's not really over yet, there's still the pseudo-sequel appearances, so do stop by.**

**xLilypadsx****—Another long time reader, huh? I love your little catch phrase at the end of every review… I think I've definitely had good luck, wouldn't you agree?**

**crystal wings5****—A new face, but happy to see you anyway. Glad you took the time to review.**

**GigglesluvsFang****—I enjoyed hearing from you, thank you.**

**HeartlessFallenAngel****—You've been with me for quite a while now, thank you so much for all that you've said and done through this process.**

**loleoRAWR****—Thank you, I'm glad.**

**bouncingpurple****—You always saw the trouble coming, didn't you? Thank you.**

**Megan****—Thanks, hun, I appreciate you taking the time to review.**

**irock329****—I still remember when I woke up to find my entire inbox filled with alerts that you had been reviewing like mad. At first, I thought it was because of the early post incentive, but then you showed that you were just being that kind of a person, and filling my day with unexpected pleasure. Thank you.**

**melonkitty****—I hope you realized I'm still working on it, and have enjoyed it.**

**coolkitty154****—Hun, I never got your e-mail address for whatever reason, and I am still ignoring the reference to Twilight… Amy is Amy.**

**Future Aviator****—I don't really address Saphira's now lonely existence, now do I? To answer your question, if I haven't already, I will say that in my little reality, Glaedr quits protesting too much and thus that is who Saphira ends up with. I couldn't find a way to work that in during this epilogue, so I thought I would just spit it out now.**

**Solangedrama****—A long time friend, aren't you, though I haven't heard from you since Chapter 15. I'm glad you took so much time to follow through, though.**

**fangirls strike back****—First off, the name makes me laugh. And all authors are cruel in our own ways, we just have different expressions of it. I hope I didn't throw you off too much.**

**NightSkyForLife****—Thanks for the compliment again, and thanks for reading!**

**gaaraXsasukeXlover****—I'm glad to cause a time warp… Again… I seem to do that a lot, huh?**

**harrypotter1345****—I hope she eventually got back into character for you… Arya is difficult, and I imagine her to be softer after the war is over, and with a child.**

**Silvara713****—Men are not that intelligent, darling. But thanks for your comment!**

**kitsunkuruoshii****—Simple and effective, I like it. Thanks for reviewing.**

**xCHUx****—I'm glad you like my style, and Amy's mind is me being clever in how to block Eragon's little eavesdropping self out of her thoughts. ^_^**

**White Wave Warrior****—Thank you, and I hope I've been updating quickly enough for you.**

**BlimeyBomb****—I'm glad you love my characters, Lord knows they are always screaming in my head to be written.**

**horns-halos4ever****—Obviously, I did continue, and am even extending it far farther than its original life expectancy.**

**daphne 13****—Where did you go? I got to expecting your reviews… Your last one had me cracking up.**

**Aria DeLoncray****—Thank you so much.**

**MrsSamUley****—Once I translated the text-speak, I got what you were saying. Thanks for the review.**

**iEspeon****—I've loved you since I saw your name. Espeon is my favorite. Anyway, thanks for taking the time so many times to review.**

**anonymous****—Thank you for the compliment, and for reviewing.**

**GinaDarling****—Amy's past was my little secret for most of this story, wasn't it? We learn more about her as a child in the pseudo sequal, so keep an eye out for it!**

**WlfSeed****—I probably won't dabble in Inheritance again until after the last book comes out… Anything after that will depend on what Chris does…**

**eternal-kiss90****—I know, Jadia clueless? Ha. That comes to be funny later.**

**SnowChika****—I hope you eventually go to finish reading. The numbers were reference numbers, I'm sorry they confused you.**

**Moreta Reborn****—I'm glad, and thanks for reviewing.**

**xHinata Uzumakix****—You and I need to talk Naruto sometime… Your reviews were all really sweet, thank you.**

**CryingRosex3****—I hope you found all the updates alright, and I'm glad you enjoyed the story so much.**

**Keller95****—Begging is not required for updates, just letting me know you enjoyed it is enough. Thank you.**

**MikayHiwatari****—Puppy eyes! I'm the queen of them! ^_^ Thank you for reviewing.**

**faxnessfan101****—If this is about the time I think it is… Several things. Trying to complete Under a New Moon being the key part, moving to a new location being another. I hope you stuck with me through all of it.**

**LM1991****—I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.**

**Silver-Serval****—I'm sensing a Silver Surfer pun… I hope the evil situation resolved itself.**

**LOL-ninjas-stole-my-homework****—Name=hilarious. Thank you for reviewing.**

**spazzysassyangel****—They did, or they do… Can't remember which now…**

**Kia****—Getting out of our comfort zone can lead to horrendous disaster, or something surprisingly pleasant. I hope this was the latter.**

**fAteD lOvE****—Picking this because Eragon is with Arya may not have been the wisest of choices, but I hope you stuck around through it all.**

**Total Ditcher****—My first reviewer in the Inheritance Fandom! I hope you followed the story to its end, and thanks for being the first to comment.**

…

**My spell checker hates you all!**

…

**But I don't care, I'm glad I did that. Yeesh, so many people, and you all have been fabulous. Take care, everyone!**

**Sincerely your writer, Lost and Never Found**


	23. Author's Ending Note

**I know, I know, pure author's notes are forbidden, but this had to be said and done.**

**First off: all reviewers of the epilogue will get a preview tomorrow, I promise.**

**Second: I'm curious about whether you all would like to see a comic (doujinshi most likely) of Eyes of Jade on DeviantArt. That being said, you all need to reply to the new poll on my profile. **

**The response there will make the decision if I need to go track down an artist will to collaborate with me. If you do doujinshi and are interested, review to let me know you are interested, then E-MAIL ME a drawing of Jadia, Amy, and Murtagh in a group shot (prelim sketch will be fine, though if that's the case, I want a finished, colored work of yours as well), and we'll see what me thinks. I'm going to be a wee bit picky, simply because this is my baby.**

**Third: find my butt on DeviantArt (I'm Eva-Emaria there) and let me know if you have Fan Art posted for this story! I WANTS TO SEE!!!!!!**

**I'll update this on news about the doujinshi if it happens, kay?**


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